


Ignite

by bimmykimmy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Getting Together, M/M, Questionable Motives, implied previous sheith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-08-10 17:11:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7853827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bimmykimmy/pseuds/bimmykimmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A week. A whole week had gone by and The Thief was still there.</p><p>During this time, Hunk had quite adamantly studied him. Coffee every morning, bag in lap, red jacket every day. Sometimes he'd wear his hair back other times it would look like he hadn't even brushed it. Hunk noticed he never had headphones in, only looked at his phone and smiled every once in awhile.</p><p>On the next Monday morning, The Thief looked up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day to Day

_::_

_A little mayhem never hurt anyone_

_::_

 

Daily commutes really did tend to blur together after a while. The scenery that zip by the train car window, the chattering voices all become a mere background image.

Hunk was a creature of habit, so it didn't bother him to fall into the mundane routine of commuter life. He had his work to do on his tablet, maybe read a book if he was feeling up to it, or simply sit and look out the window.

Every day he'd grab a quick breakfast and head his way to the train (7:50 am) to work his 9-5 job. He'd sit in the same corner seat, away from the rushing crowd at the doors but not crammed next to the fire extinguisher. He tested almost every seat. This one was the perfect angle to see the city skyline on a bright morning. He could sit and let his mind wander while watching the skyscrapers in the distance crawl by. Hunk had always counted on this seat during his purposely early train ride.

Hunk hadn't counted on his seat being _taken_ this particular morning.

With a coffee in one hand and some sort of sports duffel bag in his lap, the black haired man sat perfectly still in Hunk's seat. His eyes cast downward as he looked at his phone.

Sure, Hunk didn't actually own the damn thing but...commuters had unspoken rules! Mr. Duffel Bag Coffee Holder was breaking such rules!

Hunk stepped into the car and the doors hissed shut behind him. He barely even lurched forward when the train started, keeping his eyes strained on the seat stealer.

He wasn't one for confrontation. It wasn't like a stolen seat (that was totally unofficially officially confirmed to be his) warranted _any_ kind of conflict. So, Hunk sat down on the edge seat across the aisle. His back was turned to the skyline but he had practically memorized it by now anyways. Instead, he sat the whole train ride periodically looking over at the man who had stolen his seat.

 

\--

 

The next morning Hunk was running a little late. His alarm magically decided to be less effective, leaving Hunk scrambling around his apartment searching for clean clothes. He skipped breakfast and practically sprinted to the station.

Old reliable 7:50 was still on the tracks and Hunk sighed with relief. He stepped into the train car he'd grown so accustomed to and--

No.

NO!

Hunk's eyes narrowed.

_The thief._

Same coffee in hand, same sports bag thing, same blank face as he idly scrolled through some app or message on his phone.

Hunk felt himself squirm. Two days of habit-breaking routine was not really his style.

But it was okay. He'd just...sit closer to it this time. A section over, same side. At least now he could look at the architecture during the ride.

 

\--

 

A week. A whole week had gone by and The Thief was still there.

During this time, Hunk had quite adamantly studied him. Coffee every morning, bag in lap, red jacket every day. Sometimes he'd wear his hair back other times it would look like he hadn't even brushed it. Hunk noticed he never had headphones in, only looked at his phone and smiled every once in awhile.

On the next Monday morning, The Thief looked up.

Hunk had been staring, yes, and he meant to make it look like he hadn't been. But seeing as how The Thief shifted awkwardly, crossing an ankle over his knee and turning away, he had most definitely noticed.

 

\--

 

Hunk thought about taking an earlier train. But the 6:20 would put him at work way _way_ too early, and the train would probably be too crowded to guarantee his seat anyway.

No, the 7:50 was his best bet. It had been his only bet for over a year.

Hunk closed his laptop and placed it on his bed stand. He was too tired to start on another project for work and it was getting late anyway.

He laid back on his pile of pillows (because having just one should be illegal) and let his arms spread out above him, palms up. He stared at his ceiling and thought about tomorrow.

He was just starting to close his eyes when his phone rang. He didn't have to look at the caller ID to know who it was; It was a weekly tradition.

"Hey, Lance," Hunk said after sliding the phone unlocked and putting it on speaker. He placed the device on his belly and kept staring up at his white ceiling.

"Oh no," came Lance's voice from the speaker, "you sound down, buddy. Bad day at work?" Hunk smiled. Lance was his best friend and honestly probably a mind reader.

"Not the best," Hunk said after a moment, "but I think I'm just tired, is all."

"Living in the city too much for you?" Lance asked with concern.

Hunk shrugged out of habit and said "Nah, the city I can handle. It's just, y'know, boring. Haven’t really made any friends yet, either. And work is blegh. Same thing day in and day out."

"You _like_ routine, though," Lance commented.

"I know, but sometimes change can be good. Can set you off on something better." Hunk pictured The Thief, sitting staring down at his phone and fiddling with his bangs every couple minutes.

Huh.

He hadn't meant that comment to be about him.

"Tell me about your mystery man some more!" Lance chimed in, once again proving his mind reading skills to be 100% real. "What was he wearing today?! Was his gross mullet in a pony tail?"

Hunk scoffed. "It was down today. And don't call him my 'mystery man'! He's a seat thief and a brat."

"So you actually talked to him?!"

"Wh--well, no, but--"

"Then you have nothing to add to that sentence!" Lance cut in with that fake assertive voice he was so good at. "You should sit next to him tomorrow," He added after a pause.

Hunk sat up and grabbed the phone. "What?! Ah--no! I'm not--I'm not gonna do that! The train isn't full at that time! Do you know how awkward something like that would be?! Hell, he already saw me burning holes into him with my eyes. He probably thinks I'm a serial killer."

Lance's laugh came over the line crystal clear and Hunk pursed his lips in annoyance.

"Relax, buddy, I was just joking."

"Oh..."

There was another pause.

"Hunk..."

"Lance..."

" _Hunk_."

"What!?"

"Oh my GOD, Hunk!!!"

Hunk felt his face heat up.

"Shut up, Lance."

Lance did not shut up. In fact, his cooing grew louder.

"I can't _believe_ you've got a crush! Oh my sweet child, you've grown so much. I'm gonna cry."

"Oh go to hell! I do _not_ have a crush."

"Bullshit, you don't!" Lance quipped, "you've been talking about him in our group chat all week!"

"He stole my seat!" Hunk heard Lance chuckle again, so he added, "I'm hanging up on you."

"Okay, _okay_! I'm sorry." The apology was riddled with giggles and Hunk narrowed his eyes despite the hot flush on his cheeks. "Did I tell you I got an interview Friday?"

 

\--

 

Hunk woke up thinking about him. He blamed Lance for that. They wound up talking until midnight and the last thing his childhood best friend said was, "Okay, love ya bud, sit next to mystery man, bye!" And hung up.

Hunk was going to throw him into a pool next time he saw him. Because he knew Lance could swim well, but being thrown into a pool is just the right amount of inconvenience that was appropriate as payback.

His alarm went off after he had already been lying awake. He turned it off and sat up, sighing and stretching. His morning routine went about with no slip ups. He turned on the TV and brushed his teeth, walking around in his underwear until the very last moment before he left.

The walk to the station was nice. The sidewalks weren't too busy and the morning air was just cool enough. The street vendors were setting up for the day, unpacking boxes and writing new sale signs. Hunk smiled at a few people and, of course, said hello to the golden retriever tied to the stop sign near the bakery. As he gave the dog a good scratch behind the ears, Hunk thought about what Lance said again. What if Hunk could sit next to him? _Talk_ to him? That would be pretty amazing, since Hunk would be lying if he said he didn't think The Thief was handsome.

No, no that’s just crazy. The guy caught Hunk staring at him like a man with a grudge. He'd probably just up and move.

 

Well, at least he'd get his seat back that way.

When the train pulled into the station, Hunk felt his heart flip. The wind from the train on the other side tossed his hair into his eyes and he brushed it away quickly. He didn't want his hair to look messy because... Because shut up! He just wanted to!

The doors slid open and he stepped inside the car and froze. Only for a moment, but enough to cause a small misstep in his gait. He walked over to his seat and sat in the empty space.

Hunk looked around the car, not seeing any sign of the duffel bag or red jacket.

With a lurch, the train pulled away from the platform. Absently, he stared out the window to watch the architecture crawl  by.

 

\--

 

Every morning for the next two days followed this same routine.

Sitting in the seat again felt weird.

 

\--

 

Work was rough. Not only did he screw up a whole heck of a lot, but he couldn't understand _why_.

Sure, architectural engineering wasn't the _easiest_ thing to do, but Hunk wasn't some amateur at it either. The blueprints in front of him seemed to be saying otherwise. With a frustrated groan, Hunk ran his hands through his hair and leaned down over his desk. The lamp in his office didn't make for enough lighting but he hated the fluorescent ones above.

He glanced out the window and looked at the buildings across the way. The sun had gone down long ago, and it was probably not a good idea to continue working in the mental state he was in now.

Hunk hated doing badly.

He sighed and picked up his things, stowing his laptop away in his backpack and locking his office door.

The city at night felt different. It was a unique sensation; walking around, hearing the soft music from live bands in bars seeping out from propped open windows, lights peppering the already illuminated skyline.

Hunk leaned against a large cement column at the station, gazing down at his phone.

 _Sorry you had a bad day,_ said Lance

 _Just go home and relax. Bake something! That always cheers you up!_ added Pidge.

Hunk smiled. His friends always looked out for him. Lance for a solid 20 years and Pidge for a little less than a decade. Both continuously cheered him on. They even supported his (somewhat hasty) decision to move away from their small town in the middle of God-knows-where to pursue his career.

The chime of the speakers caught his attention and the announcement of an incoming train got him to look up at the red LED display.

He lowered his gaze, and much against his will he gasped.

_The Thief!_

He was no less than 20 feet away sitting on an empty bench. He had ear buds on—odd—and his arms were crossed, hugging his bag. The wind of the station gave his hair a rather tousled look and he didn't seem to care to fix it.

Hunk couldn't stop himself from wondering what he was doing out so late. Of course, Hunk doesn't normally take this late a train so for all he knew this might've been The Thief's regular schedule. It _was_ odd that he was at this stop, though. He didn’t get off at this one in the mornings. Not that Hunk made sure to know that….Ok fine, he did.

As if sensing someone staring, The Thief glanced his way and Hunk casually looked down at his phone again. It was a much smoother transition than the other time, but he still felt his stomach jump to his throat. He waited a few seconds before peering up again. The Thief was looking straight ahead now, fingers strumming on the fabric of his bag. Hunk quirked an eyebrow when he noticed the dark shades of purple and blue on his left eye.

The crowd was light, the later trains usually had a steady stream of people, and Hunk couldn’t help but glance every so often at him even as he entered the car through the next doors over.         

The small crowd filed in one after another and slowly filled the car. It wasn't packed, but the seats were going fast.

Hunk felt suddenly very exhausted from the long work day. Standing the entire train ride was the _last_ thing he felt like doing. So, he took a seat swiftly and took out his book.

The seat to his right, the only one left in the car and against the wall, was quickly taken after he sat down. Hunk tried his best to scoot. Being stuck between a big guy like himself and a wall was not ideal and Hunk knew this. He didn't want the person to feel cramped, but they actually fit quite nicely.

Hunk shifted again, glimpsed quickly over at the occupant and—

"Oh! You—" He felt the words slip out before his thoughts could stop him. The Thief looked over at Hunk. At this distance, Hunk could see his irises were a deep shade of blue and he had really rather nice eyebrows that were now raised.

_Oh no. Oh my God._

The Thief took out an ear bud.

_No I'm sorry I didn't mean to--I didn't want--_

"Pardon?"

His voice was nice. A bit tired but polite.

Hunk could hear his heartbeat blast in his ears, his pulse punching at his throat. What the hell was he supposed to say? Hello, you’re the guy who stole my seat that wasn’t really mine but I’m a freak who likes to sit in the same spot every day so—No. No that wouldn’t do at _all._

The train lurched forward and Hunk felt like time was standing still as the man looked into his eyes.

"You, uh, you're a familiar face is all!" Hunk felt himself sputtering and it was all he could do not to get up and run away in embarrassment.

The Thief quirked an eyebrow momentarily but then his lips turned up into a smile.

Hunk had never seen a more beautiful smile.

Dammit. He could hear Lance laughing already.

"Oh yeah," The Thief said in a friendly tone. "I've seen you a lot lately. You get on at the Garrison Street stop, don't you?"

Hunk was shocked to hear that; he always thought he was too focused on a chat or app to notice when Hunk had gotten on. Of course, Hunk was a very large guy. Kind of hard not to miss him despite his belief otherwise.

"First time I've seen you on a train this late, though," he added. Against his will, his face started to warm. He was _trying_ to act completely natural. He was failing at that. He laughed a bit nervously and thumbed through some of the pages in his book.

"Yeah, I had a long day at work," He said more to the ground than to him.

“Nice to finally head home though, right?”

Hunk couldn’t speak, so he simply smiled and nodded.  The Thief smiled too and put his ear bud back in, turning his head forward.

And that was it. _That_ was the conversation. The rest of the train ride they sat silently. Hunk could hear the small hint of The Thief’s music and he found himself keying in on it to figure out what exactly he was listening to. He also found it hard to not look at him every few minutes.

Before he knew it, his stop was here. Something inside of him didn’t want to get off the train, but that was silly. Of course he had to. This was his stop. He bent the corner of his page, to which he could feel Pidge cringing somewhere in the distance, and picked up his backpack. As he turned to swing it over his shoulder he looked back. The Thief’s eyes were closed. So much for a goodbye (as if Hunk would be outgoing enough to do that anyway). He looked at that black eye once more, then left the car.

The walk from the station to his apartment felt oddly long, but did feel refreshing somehow. His long work day and the stress that it brought felt like a distant dream at this point. The night sky was pitch black, speckled with stars. He liked that just a few miles out of the city, one could feel like they were light years away from the hustle and bustle.

 

\--

 

The smell of cookies filled his apartment. . Hunk had taken Pidge’s advice despite feeling infinitesimally better after the train ride. Baking and cooking were definitely great hobbies to have because 1) they were relaxing and 2) you had something to eat after feeling better! An all around win-win situation.

He was snacking on a few cookies when his phone rang.

“No, I will _not_ pay for your butt implant surgery! Stop asking,” Hunk said as soon as he answered the phone.

Lance made a disappointed sound. “But Daaaaaaaaaaaad!” He laughed. “Feeling better?”

“I am,” Hunk said while plopping down onto the couch and turning down the TV. He didn’t want Lance to hear him listening to the football pre-season games. He had enough things Lance could poke fun at; he didn’t need to add that. “I have some news for you that you will find very exciting.”

“Oh?” Lance’s voice elevated. “Do tell.”

“No, you tell me about your interview first!”

“Bitch, it was fine. I’ve got the job in the bag. Now tell me!”

Hunk tilted his head back and laughed loudly. After the two got their giggles out, Hunk cleared his throat. He adjusted himself on the couch, pulling his knees to his chest and lying sideways.

“I sat next to him.” He couldn’t—and didn’t try to—fight the smile on his lips.

Lance’s response was an overly dramatic gasp and trailed into a high pitched squeak of a noise.

“ _And_ I talked to him! Sort of,” Hunk added.

“What’s his name?!” Lance practically yelled.

“Uh,”

“No!” Lance said exasperated, “You didn’t get his name?!”

“Dude, I only spoke to him for like 20 seconds.”

“But you sat next to him! That’s long enough to—”

“Yes, yes, I know. But you know how I am… Anyway, he’s nice. Too bad he’s still a seat stealer.” He could almost hear Lance roll his eyes, but he knew Lance well enough to know that all this pestering was done only with the best intentions.

They continued on chatting. Work, interviews, the new Star Trek film. At some point in the night, Hunk forgot to continue correcting Lance when he called The Thief  his “crush.”

 

\--

 

Hunk was nervous.

He got to the station way earlier than he needed and as he waited for the train, he kept glancing down at the tracks as if it wasn’t going to come. He didn’t know why he was so uneasy. The Thief hadn’t been on the morning train for a while. Hunk had been curious about that; wondered if it had anything to do with that black eye of his.

When the train came to a stop and the doors opened, Hunk stepped through and immediately was greeted by a warm smile and a wave from The Thief himself sitting in his spot. He was wearing his hair in a small ponytail today, Hunk noticed immediately, and he didn’t have his red coat on. It was really hot this morning, so it made sense.

Hunk felt himself freeze. Was that an invitation? What if it wasn’t and it would be really weird if he sat down next to him and—

Oh.

The Thief adjusted himself in the seat a little; his eyes trained on Hunk with a welcoming smile. Hunk made his way over and with each step his heart wanted to explode. But now was not the time for a coronary embolism.

“Mornin’!” He said as he sat down next to Keith. His words were followed by a small huff and a smile.

“Hey,” His voice was—Hunk dare not say it—deliciously smooth this morning. Hunk also dared not to stare at his incredibly toned body that he had been a fool not to notice before. The tight, black V-neck he wore now did more than just proudly display this fact. “How are you not dying? It’s damn hot out.”

Hunk pursed his lips a little, looking down at himself in a dress shirt, pants, and tie. He had rolled the cuffs up as he was waiting for the train. That had been sufficient enough to cool him down. But now he was starting to feel that all too familiar heat spread across his skin, prickling against his arm hairs.

“The air conditioning where I work is very intense,” Hunk replied.

The Thief chuckled, setting down his duffle bag between his legs on the floor and turning towards Hunk.

“Hah, lucky! Where do you work?”

Hunk was honestly still in shock at this entire scenario. He really had no idea talking to a complete stranger could be this easy. Not to mention a stranger who was definitely not hard on the eyes. Hunk’s face was probably red at this point, now that he could see he had The Thief’s full attention.

“Oh, uh, just over at the Renaissance building on 5th.”

“Cool! What do you do?”

“I’m an, ah, an architectural engineer,” Hunk scratched his cheek. He was always bashful saying his career. It sounded really…well, pretentious.

He heard The Thief whistle, impressed no doubt, as he leaned back in his seat. “That makes, what? 75, 80 thousand a year?”

“Oh my God, I wish! No, I’m still very much a small fry in the company.”

To that, The Thief laughed.

“What about you?”

“Huh?”

“Do you work?” Hunk lifted his hand as he explained. “I mean, I see you practically every day. You’re always on this train in the mornings in my seat—“

“Your…what?”

_Oh no. Oh shit. Why?!_

“No, nope. I said…I didn’t say that.” Hunk shook his head at The Thief, waving his lifted hand as he spoke only to have it land on his forehead in a very successful slap. He was really blowing it. He should just get up and walk right off this train. The Thief laughed again. Hunk really enjoyed the sound of it despite the flaring heat of embarrassment burning his face.

“I’m sorry I stole your seat. I should’ve noticed the name tag.”

Hunk smirked. So, The Thief’s got a sense of humor huh? That’s good news at least.

“I’ll let you off with a warning this time. Next time, I mean business.” He felt the smirk spread wider across his lips. He couldn’t believe he was _flirting_ , and he was probably being very obvious. Typically, Hunk would be too nervous to try anything snarky with a complete stranger, but something about this man was just…comfortable. Despite his looks and mysterious aura, he really was rather pleasant.

“Noted,” The Thief said with a curt nod and he looked down at his phone after it vibrated with a notification.

Hunk realized his black eye was healing nicely already. The purple had faded a lot since last night, and the green-yellow splotches had spread. Suddenly The Thief looked straight ahead, out the window. His expression seemed to fall, flattening into a stoic emotion as he stared at the blurred images zoom by. He was quiet for some time and Hunk felt like he should probably stop looking at him but just couldn’t convince himself to glance away. There were tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and the small hairs that had fallen out of his pony tail stuck to his neck. The morning sunlight that shone through the train window added just enough glossiness to his eyes that Hunk realized…he was really _very_ good looking. Also well suited for Hunk’s tastes, if he was brutally honest.

The silence continued on, and eventually Hunk cleared his throat to fill the quiet.

“So, uh, your eye—“ But he couldn’t get the words out before the announcement overhead blared into the quiet car. They were approaching his stop. The Thief kept his gaze trained forward, apparently lost in thought. Hunk tried to imagine what kinds of thoughts might be running through his head. Hunk made a disappointed noise, quietly enough to not draw attention, and he stood up. With a thumb pointing over his shoulder at the doors where people began to line up as the train pulled into the station, he said, “Well, I get off here.”

The Thief looked over at him and smiled softly, the expression just barely touching his eyes. There looked like sadness behind it, which made Hunk part his lips ever so slightly.

“Have a good day,” was all The Thief said.

Hunk smiled despite feeling somewhat at a loss.

_That can’t be it. Not again._

He walked over to the doors and stood facing them, the small group of fellow morning commuters gathering around him. As the train came to a stop and the doors slid open with a small, airy whirring noise, Hunk glanced over his shoulder again.

He couldn’t let that be it. He wouldn’t let that be it. He wanted to know more. At least… _at least_ …

“Your name!” Hunk suddenly spoke, a bit louder than necessary since the car was still quite empty. He saw the woman standing directly next to him shoot him a weird look before turning her attention back to her phone.

The Thief startled a bit and looked over at Hunk with a small surprised expression. His thick eyebrows rose to his hairline and dark eyes gleamed in the sunlight. The group around Hunk began to file out of the train car, bustling around and stirring up background noise.

“K--” He said just as Hunk heard the door alarms beeped, warning the doors were shutting. But his voice was quiet, overpowered by the noise around him.

“W-What?”

He smiled and spoke louder, turning towards Hunk and leaning forward just a little bit. “Keith!”

Hunk felt his heart leap to his throat. He quickly stepped off the train and turned sharply on his heel. “I’m Hu—!!”

The doors shut in his face and he instantly frowned. It didn’t last for long though. The Thief—Keith—was looking over his shoulder out the window at him. His shoulders bounced in what appeared to be a laugh. He lifted a hand and gave a small wave just as the train took off. Hunk raised his hand and just sort of left it there as the train departed. He was a statue, the wind from the train’s acceleration blowing his hair into his eyes and he gave absolutely no mind at all.

His name was Keith.

Keith, albeit a seat stealer, was a handsome, polite, pretty approachable guy with an adorable smile. And holy shit he had muscles.

Hunk blinked at his own thoughts; his face definitely two shades of deeper red now. He dropped his hand quickly to his side and hunched his shoulders, staring down at the yellow line on the platform. He didn’t know when it happened, but Lance was right. Dammit, when was he ever wrong about these kinds of things? Maybe Hunk was just very predictable. But all he knew was yes. He _did_ have a crush, and now that that crush had a name, he had it _bad_.

 

\--

 

At lunch, Hunk ate his homemade BLT in his office. He was on a roll with his work and he felt that walking away from the project would jinx it. So, with his desk littered with huge display of mess and blueprints, his laptop off to the side, a cold coffee safely set away from it on the other desk, and his lunch off to his left, Hunk continued working through his break.

He had gotten so engrossed with his project he hadn’t even checked his phone.

Hours passed before he realized he should probably check his emails. He reached for his phone since it was closer than his laptop, and he immediately noticed the neglect he had been giving his group chat.

Something about Pidge wanting like 12 dogs and Lance fighting her about it, saying that bunnies were the obvious better pet.

Hunk laughed and chimed in, mentioning that some countries allowed domesticated foxes. This sparked a whole new debate.

 

\--

 

So maybe he worked a little overtime again. And maybe it was on purpose. And maybe Hunk was probably being pathetically hopeful.

He didn’t care. If it meant a chance to run into Keith, then he was willing to take it. Why not, right? He didn’t have anything to lose.

Walking into the station, he looked around and tried to be casual about it. He knew he was probably not succeeding in that aspect, but it was a valiant effort. The crowd around him was busier than usual. He had forgotten it was already the end of the week again. Somehow time just seemed to be zipping by lately.

As he turned the corner to his train’s platform, he felt a large gust of warm, humid air. It felt putrid, really, as if the air itself was ready to peel back his skin. The heat of the day had thoroughly cooked the city and the remnants of it lingered. He hadn’t been lying to Keith when he said his building was nicely air conditioned. He forgot the weather was predicted to be a record high today. If this was how gross the weather felt at night, Hunk could only imagine how it must’ve felt earlier when the sun was out.

He walked down the platform with one hand on the strap of his backpack. His eyes darted around in search for that tiny pony tail and tight v-neck.

Either the powers that be really wanted to make up for the past 24 years of his life, or Lance had secretly shoved a horseshoe up his butt before he moved, because Hunk spotted him within seconds. Talk about good luck. Keith was off to the side, leaning against a cement column. His bag strap was across his chest and his arms were folded. He was glaring down at the ground with an angry but also somewhat sleepy expression.

He was here again. It wasn’t his stop. Why was he here again?!

Well, did it really matter?

Hunk paused for only a moment. He felt his breath catch in his throat and he went through at least nine different greetings in his head before he just simply stepped over to him and smiled. Keith, obviously unable to miss a man a huge as Hunk out of the corner of his eye, glanced up. His expression softened only slightly as soon as he recognized his smiling face.

“Hey Big Man,” He said with what could really only be called sultry look on his features, and Hunk seriously considered just walking away right then and there because wow. Holy--…just… _wow_.

“H-Hunk,” He responded with a rather embarrassing crack to his voice. He adjusted his grip on his backpack and swallowed heavily. “I got cut off by the train this morning…heh.”

Keith gave a short laugh that sounded more like a close-mouthed “hmph” than a laugh, but there was a tiny hint of a weary smile on his face. They chatted idly for a few minutes before the train came, though mostly it was Hunk talking. Keith wasn’t as open as he had been that morning.

When the train arrived at the platform, Hunk followed him into the car and prayed to every deity he’d ever heard of that Keith didn’t think it was weird that he sat down right next to him. Luckily (thank you, horseshoe), Keith didn’t seem to mind and they both sat down in a corner seat. The car filled pretty quickly with loudly chatting teens, obviously out for the night to start their weekend. The rest of the crowd was pretty much the usual—couples, loners, business women, man with a fancy cane...

Hunk turned to Keith, opening his mouth to ask about his day but stopped short. Keith had put in his earbuds and had his eyes closed. His head was tilted back, leaning against the cold seat back. His lips (that Hunk was totally not staring at) moved ever so slightly to the music he listened to.

The announcement of the doors closing chimed in the air, and after just a bit the train began to move. Hunk, not wanting to be the bothersome one, simply reached into his backpack and grabbed his book. He opened up to the dog-eared page and began reading.

 

\--

 

The train slowly emptied as the stops went by. The car was quiet and the _click clack_ sounds of the train filled the air with rhythmic ambiance. Hunk leaned back against his seat, his leg crossed as he held the book out in front of him. His eyes scanned the page, finishing the last line and pinching the edge to turn it.

The next stop came, the doors opened, more people filed out. The train started going again with a small jerk.

Suddenly, Hunk felt something warm press against his arm. The unexpected contact startled him, but not enough to make him jump, just enough to twitch a little and glance over. Keith’s eyes were delicately closed, his long (wow, _really_ long) lashes dusted his cheekbones. His jaw was slack, lips parted just a bit as his breath came out in slow steady intervals. One of his ear buds had fallen out and seeing as he didn’t even flinch to put it back, he was definitely out.

Hunk pressed his lips into a thin line, eyes widening and darting around momentarily to see if anyone was looking. It didn’t really matter if anyone was, but it was just an instinctual movement. Should he wake him? Isn’t it pretty embarrassing to fall asleep on essentially a stranger on the train? Would waking him up make it worse? He should wait for him to wake up himself, shouldn’t he? The announcement of the next stop caught his attention. It was one stop away from his.

With so many questions in his mind, Hunk hadn’t really made a decision before the next stop came. As the doors’ closing warning alarm beeped, Keith suddenly jolted awake, pulling his head away from Hunk’s arm with a quick inhale through his nose. Hunk couldn’t help but think that was really damn cute. And he also couldn’t deny how cold his arm suddenly felt.

Keith rubbed his non-bruised eye and glanced over at Hunk. His expression went from groggy, to surprised, to Oh Dear God. He migrated his hand to his forehead, rubbing at it with an expression somewhere in-between embarrassed and frustrated.

“I’m am so sorry,” He said with an exhausted chuckle. “Shit, this heat…”

“It’s okay man,” Hunk replied as coolly as he could. “Long day?”

“The longest. The dojang’s AC is busted so I basically worked my ass off in a sauna all day. Guess the heat just wore me out.”

“Dojang?” Hunk was pleasantly surprised and 900,000% curious.

Keith yawned, crossing his arms and leaning back against the seat. He lowered his position and straightened out his legs. “It’s where I work. Well, I say work, but it’s more like training.”

“Are you a martial artist? Err...something?”

Keith lifted one arm sleepily and gestured at himself up and down in a rather languid movement. “National Taekwondo Team trainee.”

“No shit?”

To that, Keith chuckled again. He blinked over at Hunk with another sleepy expression, he shrugged. “I never like telling people. It always sounds so pretentious.”

Hunk paused at the déjà vu sensation but quickly looked up at the red LED sign announcing his stop being next. He looked back at Keith whose eyes had shut again. His phone was in one hand and the ear buds in the other as they were crossed across his chest. Hunk suddenly felt a twinge of worry.

“Is your stop soon?”

Keith opened an eye and glanced up at the sign. “I’ve got three more,” He sat up now. Probably wanting to wake himself up. “Then a 20 minute bus ride.” His shoulders slumped as soon as he tried straightening up. Hunk narrowed his own eyes now, studying Keith’s quite alarmingly exhausted state.

“Are you…” He hesitated only for a moment, hoping this wasn’t stepping his bounds. “Are you gonna be okay?”

He saw Keith’s eyes widen a bit at his concern and he looked over at Hunk only for a moment before looking away abashedly.

“Um…”

“Do you want to get off at my stop?” Hunk blurted out and he felt the words escape him like vomit. There was absolutely no thought going into that offer, it just rose from the deepest depths of his mind and bolted straight out of his mouth.

The overhead announcement voice spoke eloquently that the train was arriving at the next stop. Hunk’s stop.

Keith stared at Hunk with an unreadable expression. Hunk immediately felt his entire body heat up and he lifted his hands to explain himself. If…if he could explain himself, that is…

“Well, I..ah..No, well okay,”

_Cool. Off to a great start._

“It’s just that—my stop is this next one here. And you’ve got a few more and a bus ride. And, I mean, I know we don’t know each other but you honestly just seem really tired…? And I’d hate for you to miss your stop or fall asleep on the bus and…Okay, oh my God I know this sounds really so bad. But,” He glanced away. His heart was beating a thousand miles a second. Just what the hell was he exactly implying?! This was not something Hunk did. This was not something _anyone_ should ever do!! “But the offer is there.”

The clicking of the tracks felt like sonic booms at this point.

“Are you…offering me to stay at your place?”

A small whimper came from Hunk, much to his dismay, and he nodded in affirmation. God only knew why and how and when and what was going through his mind…but he nodded nonetheless. Hunk didn’t have the strength to look at Keith, who he knew was probably staring at him and wondering if Hunk was actually insane.

What Hunk hadn’t expected was Keith’s reply.

“Okay, sure.”

 

\--

 

The walk to Hunk’s apartment never seemed as long as it did now. His heart felt like it was pumping cement through his veins and he nervously adjusted his grip on his backpack strap. It was like his senses were amplified by ten and every little sound he heard had his hairs standing on end.

Every once in awhile he would glance over at Keith. Still practically a stranger, yet here he was walking right next to Hunk on his way to Hunk’s apartment. Keith was either the most trusting man in the world or the least intelligent. For all he knew, Hunk could’ve been a stalker serial killer or some sort of fetishist. The fact that he didn’t seem at all suspicious made Hunk both equal amounts of happy and anxious. Of course, he really didn’t know his own intentions for making the offer in the first place. Sometimes his mind worked so fast that even… well, his _mind_ couldn’t keep up.

“You can relax,” Keith’s voice startled Hunk out of his reverie. He had been staring at his feet at this interval but quickly turned his head toward him. “Even if I was a murderer, I’d be way too tired to do it cleanly. The cops would get me in an instant.”

Hunk was completely silent. Blinking and waiting for the synapses to fire. It was a joke, Hunk knew that, but it was more horribly timed than Lance’s joke after Pidge’s gerbil died. When more time than normal had passed, the air between them grew a little…tense. Keith saw the confusion on Hunk’s face and his smile faltered; letting out a small nervous laugh.

“Sorry, that was, uh,” Keith cleared his throat and looked forward again. He swallowed hard, Adam’s apple bobbing. “That was kinda weird.”

Seeing the small blush cross Keith’s pale skin had an instantaneous effect on Hunk’s anxiety. He felt the tension practically melt away and a good laugh bubbled in his chest, bursting out in a full-on cackle. His laugh, ever the contagious one, spread to Keith and soon he too was giggling. He held a hand up to his mouth, covering it as his laugh lifted into the humid night air. They walked together laughing and joking, sometimes sharing a tidbit or two about themselves. Any passerby would think two friends were sharing a walk home together.

Eventually, Keith’s laugh morphed into a yawn.

“Just up ahead there,” Hunk mentioned, pointing to the small townhome-esque apartment buildings. “Don’t freak out but…um, it’s kinda the one in the back through the alleyway.”

“Oh good,” Keith said as he shifted the duffel bag strap to his other shoulder. “I’ve always wanted to kick a murderer’s ass in an alleyway. I’ll be like Captain America.”

 

\--

 

Something that Hunk took a lot of pride in was his abundance of soft, squishy things. He was a firm believer that being completely surrounded in fluffy pillows and comforters was the one true cure-all remedy. Keith quickly discovered this as Hunk busied himself walking around the apartment and gathering all the assorted comfortables he could find.

Keith sat crossed legged on one side of the large couch holding his feet. He looked around the apartment as he waited. It appeared pretty standard for someone their age; not too clean, but not crazy messy either. It was made of fairly neutral colors, with low ceilings and outdated tile. Miscellaneous posters were spread out on the walls—Keith’s favorite was the Einstein sticking his tongue out portrait. He was currently studying what looked like a blueprint of a large cat-like spaceship when Hunk came in with the biggest bundle of blankets yet.

“You do realize it’s a billion degrees out, right?” Keith said, leaning against a cushion and lifting his arms to rest on the back.

Hunk pursed his lips a bit, looking down at the already massive blanket and pillow nest he’d supplied Keith, then at the addition he had in his arms. He simply shrugged as a response.

“I keep the AC pretty cold at night since I’m used to the Antarctica at work.”

Keith let out an airy chuckle, shaking his head a little. He then looked up at Hunk, their eyes meeting for a short moment. Keith tapped the couch next to him softly.

“O-oh, no, that’s okay!” Hunk lifted the blankets in his arms in a subconscious movement to block the really rather tempting invitation. Not to mention fricken obnoxiously adorable?! How could a National Taekwondo Team trainee be this incredibly _charming_?! Well, that pretty much was a moot question. “You don’t have to do…uh, that.”

Keith tilted his head a little, eyebrows furrowing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He moved his hand away from the cushion and brought it to the back of his neck. Hunk could see how red he was getting. “You just seem like a really nice guy and I wanted to, um, maybe talk a little bit more? I’d hate to impose on an absolute stranger’s home.”

Hunk suddenly felt like a complete jerk. Of course Keith was probably feeling very awkward. Some random dude who he’d literally talked to a handful of times was letting him sleep over. As pure and genuinely sincere Hunk’s actions were, there was no doubt a shady situation like this was bound to induce all sorts of scary thoughts.

“No!” Hunk suddenly blurted out and Keith looked up with wide eyes. Hunk realized how loud he had been, cleared this throat and tried again. “N-no, I mean, sorry. This is probably really weird, isn’t it? I just wanted you to be safe…”

He looked over at Keith who was still staring at him silently. Hunk felt obliged to continue.

“I, ah, I mean like…you were so exhausted, y’know? I just think you should get some rest.”

“Thank you, honestly.” Keith’s voice was gentle and filled with a sincerity that felt suspiciously rare. “You’re really a good guy, you know that?”

Hunk laughed, his expression a bit sheepish and he placed the extra blankets down on the other side of the couch.

“You too…”

_You wouldn’t think that if you knew me._

“I think that would probably be enough,” Keith chuckled and Hunk studied him for a moment before agreeing with a smile of his own. “Do you always sleep with this many pillows and blankets?”

“Absolutely. Sleep isn’t worth having if you aren’t engulfed in a fortress of softness.” It sounded incredibly silly, but Hunk was absolutely serious. Keith was about to laugh when he saw the look on Hunk’s face.

“I see,” Keith picked up a round pillow that felt like it was filled with styrofoam beads. There were really all sorts in this pile. Something about it made him feel warm, like a fire in the pit of his stomach started up and spread throughout his veins and filled his body.

“I’m going to head to my room now. Let me know if you need anything, alright?”

Keith, suddenly looking like he was caught off guard, glanced up at Hunk’s friendly smile. His voice caught in his throat and it was all he could do not to whimper when Hunk began walking away.

He did manage to blurt out a goodnight just as Hunk turned the corner, giving Keith a wave to acknowledge his words.

 

\--

 

Hunk finally let out that breath he knew he’d been holding but definitely tortured himself doing so. He braced his large hands on the marble sink countertop and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was entirely flushed and he looked worn out. Granted, he didn’t look as exhausted as Keith, but there was a definite tiredness in his features.

_Alright, so. You’ve managed to not only pull off the creepiest thing you’ve ever done but also did it while having heart palpitations._

While he brushed his teeth he let his mind wander. He absently thought about work and what projects he had lined up for Monday. Unsurprisingly his thoughts always somehow found their way back to Keith. There were a couple times where Keith’s expression seemed…sad, almost lonely. Hunk wondered about that. What was it about Keith that drew him in so much? He’d never felt so genuinely curious about anyone before.

He washed his face and continued thinking about him. It was hard not to, really. He thought about his black eye, thinking it was most likely from training. What was it like to train for a nationally ranked martial art team? Hunk liked to work out, mostly lifting weights. He couldn’t imagine the sort of endurance and skill it took to do something like taekwondo.

The lights were out and he tip toed across the hallway to his bedroom, not wanting to wake Keith in case he’d already fallen asleep.

As soon as he closed his door and turned around he jumped. Any other time he would’ve laughed at his own startled reaction, considering he banged his head back into his door. It rattled the small dreamcatcher with chimes that hung from a thumb tack stuck into the wood.

“Wh—Keith…”

“You said sleep isn’t worth having if you aren’t surrounded by softness, right?”

Hunk felt his heart leap and he swallowed the saliva that was starting to pool in his mouth.

What.

What was…

What was this…

He didn’t mean…for this…

He wasn’t going to complain but…

Keith sat at the edge of his bed with his hands on either side of him. He looked at Hunk and stood up slowly.

“And you said to let you know if I needed anything…” He walked over to Hunk, lifting his hand to his chest and pressing against it lightly so Hunk leaned back into the door. “I could use some company.” With eyes cast down, the words left him so plainly; as if he if _wasn’t_ suggesting what he was actually suggesting.

Hunk could hardly see straight. His mind was racing a thousand miles a minute but it also felt entirely empty. A walking paradox he was. He also couldn’t deny the aching desire he felt towards Keith. Slowly, secretly, it somehow crept up through these past week and settled in his very core. No words were forming so he just stayed silent.

“Is this…not okay?” Keith asked, fingers squeezed his sleep shirt delicately and the fabric bunched underneath his grip.

“No!”

Keith looked up and his expression froze.

“Oh, I thought…s-sorry.” Just when he was about to step away, Hunk reached forward and grabbed his wrist.

“No! I mean,” Hunk’s pulse blasted underneath his skin and he was certain Keith could feel it in his palm. “I…are…are _you_ okay? With this? And…just…in general?”

And there it was again. That odd forlorn look that snuck up on Keith’s features. He glanced down at his toes in the carpet for just a moment before looking back up at Hunk.

Before Hunk had any room to question again, Keith pushed forward. He kissed Hunk and Hunk responded without any hesitance. His heart exploded in his chest as he wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist, lips working his mouth open. Their hands searched curiously, new sensations to explore as they familiarized themselves with the other. They parted momentarily, breaths heavy and expressions filled with an unadulterated craving for one another.

Keith brought a hand to Hunk’s, tugging gently and leading him to the bed. Hunk sat down on the edge and the springs squeaked only a little. His eyes stayed on Keith and soon Keith climbed onto his lap, fitting perfectly in it as he sat down and brought their mouths together once again.

Keith’s lips were warm, not soft like Hunk expected, and a bit dry. He worked his lips against Hunk’s, agile and sloppy as his hands massaged their way around Hunk’s wide back. Keith’s moans traveled into Hunk’s mouth and he swallowed them graciously as his own voice began to surface. Keith’s hands were now everywhere. They felt strong against Hunk’s torso as they traced his body with burning interest. His fingers got to the hem of his shirt and pulled it up. Hunk obediently followed his unspoken request and lifted his arms up, allowing Keith to pull his shirt over his head, momentarily ceasing their kiss. Keith tossed the fabric off to the side and looked at Hunk. His eyes scanned his upper body, taking in the smooth dark shade of his skin. His slender fingers reached forward, delicately pressing the tips to Hunk’s tattoo. The lines were thick, monochromatic, but intricately placed around the circumference of his bicep. He leaned forward to kiss Hunk again. Their breathing was fast and their hearts raced like mad in their chests. Small moans escaped them both, physical embodiments of their steadily rising desire.

Pulling back from the kiss again, Keith sat back on Hunk’s thighs and took his own shirt off. Hunk’s hands instantly went to the exposed skin, pressing his fingers onto it; hungry to feel each and every inch. His blood rushed through his body and it felt as if it were on fire. He’d never felt this way before and it was exhilarating. Keith’s torso was firm, incredibly toned, and perfectly sculpted to be an efficient fighter. He couldn’t imagine what kind of sheer dedication and endurance someone would have to…

Hunk paused and looked up at him. “You sure you’re alright?” His voice was gentle but hoarse with want. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to continue. I wasn’t…I didn’t offer you to stay here for this. We, we could—”

Keith rolled his hips, pressing into Hunk’s groin for much desired friction. Just as Hunk tilted his head back and gasped, Keith pulled his face in for another sloppy kiss. The saliva that trailed between their mouths caught the moonlight as he parted. Keith was panting and looking into Hunk’s eyes through heavy lids.

“I want to,” He pressed his forehead onto Hunk’s and Hunk could feel his hot breath on his own kiss reddened lips. “I really want to.”

With another very persuasive grind of his hips, Keith removed his hands from Hunk’s face and laced his fingers together in his hair. They tangled in the dark locks, twirling a strand around his pointer.

“Don’t you?” Keith said and his voice was deep, vibrating with an aspirated heaviness that sent chills up Hunk’s spine.

Hunk wrapped a strong arm around Keith’s small (in comparison) waist, rolling them both to lie down on the bed. Their bodies pressed together and they knocked over a pillow or two in the process. Hunk began trailing his kisses down Keith’s sharp jaw line, peppering them down his neck and sucking on his collar bone. The small whimper that came as response sent another shiver through his entire body. It was invigorating, like a new found addiction.

Carefully, Hunk positioned himself over Keith, making note not to put his whole weight on the smaller man. Hunk was sure if Keith really wanted to he could probably throw Hunk off of him. The idea of being pushed around by Keith wasn’t actually an undesirable thought, but now was not the time for that. Hunk’s heavy breath shook his shoulders and he looked down at his partner. Keith’s muscles tightened with each gasp and he squirmed a bit now that Hunk was merely admiring him.

“C’mon dude,” Keith looked up at him with cloudy eyes. His lips gleamed with saliva and his face and ears were painted a beautiful pink. He moved a hand behind his head, under the pillow, and let his other one fall between his legs. He rubbed lazily, panting heavily as he stared up at Hunk. He then, quite skillfully Hunk noticed, began unbuttoning his shorts with one hand. His extended arm flexed as he writhed again, pressing and rubbing himself and moaning with want.

_Holy shit._

_He’s so…way out of my league._

_How the hell did I get here?!_

_How did I go from internally loathing the seat stealer to…to this?_

Keith’s fingers suddenly grasped at broad shoulders, finger nails digging into Hunk’s skin as he pulled his shorts all the way off. The black briefs he wore made his pale skin seem positively radiant against it. Hunk lowered his head and kissed the inside of his thighs, pressing his palms to their undersides to spread Keith’s legs open a bit to make room for himself.

Keith whispered Hunk’s name like his voice was _made_ for it.

“You’re gorgeous,” Hunk said just before bringing his lips to Keith’s groin, mouthing it through the damp fabric. His breath was hot and he squeezed his large hands onto Keith’s legs as he flattened his tongue against his arousal.

Keith let his head fall back onto the pillow, mouth falling agape as he gasped. “Ah, H-Hunk, please…”

And it was all Hunk needed to hear. His fingers dug under the elastic and slid the briefs off.

The night carried on as the two gave in to their passions. Their bodies moved together fluidly, rhythmically; voices gasping into the heavy air.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the longest fic I've ever written and I hope you all like it!! I'm shooting for 5 chapters, it may be 4 or 6 depending on how much I can push myself to write.  
> Thank you so much to my beta, @merlindir on twitter! ^^


	2. Kindle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody said it was easy.

_::_

 

_I feel, I feel it_  
_Invincible_

 

_::_

 

Hunk wasn’t typically an early riser, but his job—and his unusual commuting habits—forced him to become one. Today he found himself wide awake as soon as the sun hit his skin. His bed felt perfectly comfortable; not too warm and just the right amount of blankets covered him. He laid there for a few minutes listening to the soft sounds of traffic from the main road fade through the (probably too thin) walls of his apartment. The window let in a warm ambient light, tiny dust particles fluttering within its rays.

He was already rubbing sleep from his eye when Keith stirred next to him.

Oh.

_ Oh my God. _

He and Keith…

Hunk’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of Keith’s bare back facing him. An instinctive force guided him to sit up abruptly. The action shook the entire bed.

Keith’s shoulders blades moved like daggers under his skin as he made a small noise and turned over. His nose was scrunched and his eyes squeezed shut tightly against the sun shining through the slanted ceiling window (stylish, but annoying at times). When his lashes finally peeped open, squinting, he looked directly at Hunk.

There was a pause, as if the implications of last night started to slowly roll into the room. A cloud of unasked questions and unspoken conversation. Somewhere in the apartment the AC clicked on rather noisily, the fan running on high as it hummed into the silence.

Hunk could feel his pulse pounding in his neck and his heart felt like a fluttering bird banging at the edges of its cage. He…didn’t know what to say. He had never done anything like that before. Well, he’d slept with people but never…like that. Was that a one night stand? Was that an okay thing to do? They both had wanted to so…that made it okay, right? What were they supposed to do now? Oh, what he wouldn’t do to have Lance as one of those little angels (or devils) on his shoulder right now.

Keith inhaled deeply through his nose, smiling sleepily and lifting his hand to give a haphazard wave.

“G-good morning,” Hunk said as naturally as he could, though he doubted it was very convincing. His shoulders were hiked up to an unreasonably tense position and he could feel himself getting red again. Keith, obviously not too keen on speaking right after waking up, merely made a content hum in response. Then he made another noise, a grunt, as he snuggled his face into the giant pillow and patted at Hunk’s pillow with his hand.

“Um, Ah—Th—Sh,” Hunk was very articulate, wasn’t he? With four attempts thoroughly failed, Hunk opted with silence. He sat with lips pressed into a thin line, unable to look at Keith.

Keith merely grunted again and hit the pillow with more vigor. The pure childishness of the action was probably the most endearing thing Hunk had seen in long time. He felt an odd twinge in his chest that he really couldn’t explain but simply ignored for now. He laid back down next to Keith, who immediately scooted closer to him.

“Warm,” came Keith’s voice somewhere from the depths of the fluffy pillow. Hunk let out a sigh, attempting to relax. Obviously he was over-complicating things again. He placed his head back down on the pillow.

They laid there lazily for another hour or so. They didn’t cuddle, exactly, but there was definitely an unspoken pleasantness that eventually melted away any awkward tension of “the morning after.” Hunk had never felt so relieved in his entire life and wondered if Keith felt the same. No, of course he didn’t feel the same. Keith had been so level-headed last night. He’d taken the initiative, understood the retained (and mutual) desire. He had been eloquent in exactly what he wanted, how he wanted it, and what was too much. Definitely a much more confident man than Hunk…and Hunk was thankful for that. He was unfortunately someone who got inside his head more often than not. It led to many missed opportunities.

Hunk was on his side, head resting in his hand, when Keith finally stretched. It was quite funny, actually-- he contorted and made what could only be described as a gurgly moan, and sat up. Hunk followed Keith with his eyes and he couldn’t help but stare at those muscles again. Now that it was light, Hunk could really see all the crevices and shapes of his body. There were small bruises peppered on his skin, nothing too bad. His back looked strong; like carved marble smoothed to a perfect finish.  Looking like that, it was obvious Keith did unbelievable amounts of strength training.

He really was an incredible guy.

And definitely entirely out of Hunk’s league.

 

\--

Before Keith left he thanked Hunk. It took Hunk by surprise, really. He hadn’t really done anything to be thanked for. Regardless, Keith thanked him. And before  _ that _ , he had asked for Hunk’s phone number. Hunk gave it to him without any hesitation. He hadn’t really seen any reason to say no. Actually, he would’ve been  _ crazy _ to say no! After Keith left, nothing felt real.

For a long time he just stared at the black screen of his TV, wondering how the hell he was supposed to feel. The sounds outside his apartment filled the silence and somewhere in his apartment his air conditioning unit sounded angry. Eventually he heard the soft buzz of his phone vibrating on the coffee table.

_ How many is too many donuts?  _ Pidge asked.

_ There’s no such thing, _ Lance was quick to reply.

On any other day, Hunk would definitely have insight on the consumption of doughnuts, as any logical being would, but today was no ordinary day. Today, he got straight to the point. 

_ Guys I slept with Keith. _

_ What?! Really?!!!!?? _

_ Who’s Keith?  _ Pidge added.

Lance was the one to quickly respond to that; explaining that the mystery, seat-stealing man was Keith. Both Pidge and Hunk were equally surprised as to how he knew that, and Lance said he was offended that they didn’t have more faith in his abilities of deduction.

_ I’m just really confused right now.  _ Hunk continued to text.  _ I’ve never done anything like that before and now I don’t know what to do. _

_ Did you get his phone number? _

_ He asked for mine actually. _

_ Then dude!!! He’s totally into you! _

_ Should I text him? _

_ Do you want to? _

_ Well kinda... _

_ Then do it! _

_ Are you supposed to do that with a one night stand…thing?? _

_ I think you’re thinking about it too much.  _ Pidge, ever the realist.  _ One night stands aren’t that big of a deal. You both wanted to, so you did. Plus there’s no harm in wanting more from it. You’re obviously attracted to him and he to you! _

_ Baby’s first hookup ;3; _

_ Shut up, Lance.  _ Pidge and Hunk sent that almost simultaneously. Lance merely responded with a quite long dissertation on how he knew this was going to happen. Hunk wasn’t sold on it, but it did add quite the interesting evidence for his “Lance has ESP” theory.

Their conversation continued on like this. Eventually Hunk finally admitted what he himself was too scared to say aloud.

Was he good enough for someone like Keith?

Y’know…what was the phrase. Fucking down? That sounded so harsh, too brash for Hunk’s taste in verbiage, but it got the point across.

Keith. The handsome, obviously sexually competent, National Taekwondo trainee sleeping with a shy, awkward architectural engineer didn’t really sound right.

Pidge and Lance, of course, exploded at that idea and instantly went into the thing that only the best of friends could do. Yelling compliments at someone, laced with obscenities, until the receiving end felt better about themselves.

And Hunk  _ did  _ feel moderately better after chatting with Lance and Pidge, but he couldn’t fully shake the tiny insecurities that bubbled in his stomach. Keith could have just been being polite, asking for his number like that, but what kind of person would do that? That was just asking for trouble if you didn’t actually  _ want _ to stay connected with a one night stand.

Was he about to become a booty call?

Did that happen? Or was that a made up thing MTV made people believe existed?

He barely paid attention to the movie playing on the television as he doodled absently in a notebook. Most of the day had passed without doing very much else other than just this. It was Saturday after all. Hunk was allowed to be lazy and stay in his pajamas even though he probably stunk to high heaven. He hadn’t exactly taken a shower since…last night’s ”events.”

His stomach growled after a while. Hunger could move even a dead man.

He migrated over to his kitchen and played some music as he began to cook an intricate late lunch/early dinner. Nothing like a making a fancy-schmancy meal for you, yourself, and you. There were sweet potatoes he’d neglected for far too long, so he decided he’d make those into some fries. He was in the middle of slicing when his laptop chimed with a notification.

Hunk almost dropped the knife when he glanced over to see Keith’s name in his iMessage screen.

_ Hey thanks again for last night. I feel a LOT better today haha _

There were various positions Hunk made with his hands: prayer, hands cupping face, fist on chin, gripping the countertop for dear life, but none of them sufficiently emoted exactly how he was feeling.

He didn’t want too much time to pass before responding though, because he  _ did  _ actually want to respond. He liked Keith. That much was clear. He was nice and charming and really rather interesting. How likely was it to find people you could just  _ run  _ into on the train who are super good looking and badass martial artists?! None. None likely.

With a deep breath, Hunk typed a reply.

_ Lol! Honestly just glad I could help! _

He went to turn away to away to continue cutting potatoes, but his computer chimed almost instantly.

_ You did, really! Probably more than you know. Hey, I hope this isn’t too weird but I really did have a wonderful time with you. Wanna go out for ice cream sometime? _

The smile that erupted on Hunk’s face was insanely large and it was all he could do to not dramatically fist bump the air. Okay, maybe he did actually do that but no one was around to see it so there was no proof and he would deny it till his dying day. His fingers couldn’t type fast enough.

_ Well that’s different. Normally people ask me for coffee… _

_ Lol you get asked on a lot of dates, do you? _

Hunk felt his heart leap. So it was going to be a date? Good. This was good.

He could handle a date. A date with Keith. Keith the incredibly attractive, former seat stealer who he had slept with spontaneously. Yep.

_ Soooo many _

_ I gotta act quick then. I know a great place near my dojang. Monday night? _

_ Monday sounds great. _

\--

The rest of the weekend was filled with lazy video game playing, browsing endlessly through Netflix without actually watching anything, and many many texts exchanged with Keith.

The third thing was his favorite.

Hunk found out a lot about him in just the span of 48 hours. He had been doing taekwondo for practically his whole life, his favorite color was red (surprise surprise), he was growing out his hair only so he could cut it again-- he liked the drastic difference once it was cut. Keith was often a picky eater but loved salty things. He’d broken both of his arms, probably needed glasses but wouldn’t go to the doctor, and enjoyed watching football too. That sparked a rather fun debate between the two of them. At one point Hunk didn’t respond for a while because he got distracted by a weird noise that came from the AC. He came back to his phone with at least 7 different texts from Keith frantically explaining why he didn’t like Aaron Rodgers and that it wasn’t because he was a bad guy it was just because…look…listen, he  _ wasn’t--  _ he didn’t mean to offend!

Hunk had a huge laugh at that. 

He also learned the name of the dojang-- Arus-- and most importantly, the location of the ice cream parlor just down the street from it. The dojang was just a few stops away from Hunk’s work too, which meant getting there would be a breeze.

Sunday night was quiet. The AC kept crapping out and Hunk spent most of the time working on that and periodically chatting with Keith. Of course, he remembered to let Lance and Pidge know about the date (to which they both instantaneously freaked out and tried calling at the same time). So, Hunk being the responsible one of the bunch, made a group skype call.

As soon as their webcams connected, Lance’s face was about 2 centimeters away from his webcam.

“You!” He practically screamed. “Sly mother trucker!” He backed away from his extreme close up and bounced on his bed. He held his hands up, “Look at me, I’m Hunk! I’m so shy and I can’t talk to a guy that’d be too awkward! Not only do I get laid but now I’m going on an ice cream date like something straight outta the 50s.” His voice was high pitched, which didn’t make for a very convincing impersonation of Hunk. He fell flat back into his own voice. “How adorable.”

Hunk rolled his eyes but kept the amused smile on his face. It was just like Lance to react the way he did. It was his own special way of showing how incredibly happy he was for Hunk. Since being from a small town made dating rather slim pickings, and moving to an enormous city wasn’t always the easiest way to find someone who doesn’t frequent bars or clubs, Lance was proud to see Hunk had indeed found someone. Or at least, Hunk hoped he had found someone. Maybe?

Couldn’t be too big headed about it now.

“Y’know, I’ve been wondering. What was it like?” Pidge asked suddenly.”Was it really raunchy or sweet and sensual?”

Hunk felt his face bloom with heat. Well, he was nothing if not humble…but he did give  _ quite _ the good first impression. If the exhausted, almost delirious smile Keith had given him immediately afterwards was any indication.

“Pidge, you can’t just  _ ask  _ things like that.” Lance scolded then added, “But yeah what was it like? Is he secretly a super freak?”

“Oh my God, guys! You’re sick and twisted. I’m not telling you any of that stuff.”

“Bah! Boring,” Pidge said while leaning back and folding her arms.

Hunk laughed and waved off her comment. He wanted to get past the hook up anyway; focus more on the date. He couldn’t act like Friday night never happened, but it would be better to…start fresh, if he was honest with himself. Hunk wanted to see Keith laugh; wanted to talk to him about all sorts of things.

He was happy that The Thief had decided to take his seat, and he was happy he was weird enough to have actually cared.

\--

To say Hunk jumped out of bed Monday morning would be a drastic understatement. The weather was unbearably hot and his AC was still broken, but that was not enough to dampen his mood. He was going on a date with Keith and nothing could bring him down.  _ Nothing _ .

Except work.

That could do the trick.

Hunk rubbed a hand on his forehead and breathed heavily, puffing out his cheeks in a large sigh. The blueprints displayed in front of him offered nothing but bad news and it was all he could do not to throw them all against the wall of his office. Their client wasn’t being exactly cooperative either. For all Hunk knew, they wanted something utterly impossible to complete with the budget and timeframe. He had already made a few mock draftings and sent them in for review, but nothing seemed quite right.

His hand moved from his forehead and his other joined, pressing his face into his palms and groaning. He rubbed them down his face and muttered, “Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream.”

“You are singing my kind of tune,” It was a voice from the door. And he recognized it in an instant.

“Ms. Shay!” Hunk’s own voice cried out in what was probably an octave or two embarrassingly higher than normal; back straightening. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there.” His hands suddenly felt like hooves, groping around and hurriedly trying to fix his desk into some semblance of organized.

The woman laughed and it shook her shoulders. She was rather  _ impressive  _ looking, for lack of a better word. She towered over many of the men she worked with and not to mention was one of the most respected CEOs in the industry. She had been Hunk’s idol for quite some time; basically the reason he ever applied for the position.

It must’ve shown on his face just how nervous he was.

“Please calm down. I did not come all the way down here to intimidate you.” She chuckled again and walked into Hunk’s office, pulling out a stool. “May I?”

“Oh, uh, yeah—Yes! By all means, m-ma’am.”

Hunk had no clue how to speak. He hadn’t actually met Shay yet. He had interviewed with plenty of HR reps, but the big gal herself never showed. Of all times for her to catch a glimpse of Hunk it  _ would  _ be when he was chanting ice cream over and over. Where was that horseshoe now, huh?!

“I see you have been working on the Water Street project today.” Her impressive arms were crossed and she nodded her head towards the piles of blueprints spread over Hunk’s desk (now hastily piled in bunches that probably made it look worse than before).

Hunk laughed nervously with his eyes darting from Shay to the desk. He put his hand on his the back of his neck and it felt clammy and gross.

“Yeah, It’s the biggest task I’ve ever been assigned. It’s a little…overwhelming.”

Shay’s eyebrows lifted.

“You...are handling this all by yourself?”

“Um, yes?” Hunk was embarrassed. He knew this day would probably come eventually. He just wasn’t cut out for so much responsibility.

“What about the Collins project?”

“That was a solo too…”

Suddenly Shay stood up, the stool scraping loudly against the ground. Her heels clicked noisily too as she rounded Hunk’s desk and slapped her palms on the top. Her eyes, trained to perfection, scanned the works in progress and her lips pursed.

Off to the side, Hunk cowered (only a little) and lifted his hands delicately up to his mouth. He tried to hide the little jump and yelp he gave when Shay turned sharply towards him.

“You are remarkable.”

“I’m sor— wait, what?”

Shay lunged at Hunk, gripping his wrists; her eyes like saucers. “You are incredible! Hunk, you—”

“You know my name?!”

“—have  a real talent for this! I cannot believe I let someone like you slip under my radar for so long.” Shay didn’t falter in her explosion of praise even with Hunk’s interjection. Her eyes sparkled and something told Hunk he wasn’t going to get another word in. Shay released him and practically twirled as she picked up some more of his work. “Look at these! You have such a unique style. It is like you captured the feeling of the sun, clouds, the stars in the structure! It is magnificent. I came down here looking for the team responsible, I had no idea it was only one man!”

A deep shade of red flooded Hunk’s cheeks much against his will. It was true that he drew inspiration from the sky. Day or night, it was nice to just lose himself in that endless expanse. It was one of the reasons he loved looking out that window on the train every morning. The buildings framing a blue, blue canvas. He hadn’t realized just how much of that translated into his designs. When he was in school, he had trouble finding a voice in his work, often falling short when compared to any of the other students. He was nothing spectacular. Or so he had thought.

Shay stayed in his office for quite some time, bouncing ideas off her newest employee while simultaneously showering him with praise that continued to floor him. It wasn’t until Shay’s personal assistant came hesitantly rapping at the door that the two realized how long they had been working.

The Water Street Project was still months away; with many revisions and countless board members to go through. Hunk couldn’t wait for it to complete.

Maybe he’d show Keith someday. That wasn’t too courageous to think, was it?

 

 

\----

 

“I see your black eye is healing nicely.”

Keith pulled his dobok over his shoulders, shrugging it on and turning the away from the owner of that voice. He simply was  _ not  _ in the mood. He heard a sigh and a clank of the locker nearest his.

“You can’t ignore me forever, Keith.” He began undressing too and Keith could feel those eyes burning holes into his back. “Allura says it’s starting to affect your performance.”

There was a sudden rush of heat through Keith’s entire body; a surge of anger that burst through his chest. He smashed his fist into his locker, slamming it shut with a loud bang. The figure to his right flinched at the sudden bout of rage.

“I don’t give a shit what  _ Allura  _ thinks.”

A small pause, followed by a much calmer tone than his. “Keith, don’t make this about her...” Then, after another pause, “You’re worrying me. You aren’t being yourself, you’re distracted during training…Thace said you never made it home Friday night.”

“Oh, now you’ve got Thace spying on me?!” Keith’s voice raised an octave and his throat got painfully tight at the end of his sentence. His eyebrows pinched together and he could feel himself start to tremble. No good. This was no good. He couldn’t handle it yet. He wanted to, honestly, and he hated himself every day for not being more mature. He would work on that, but for now…temper tantrum. A spiteful laugh cracked from his mouth like glass breaking. “You’re a class act, Shiro, you know that?”

“You know that’s not what happened! Thace lives in the same goddamn building as you!” Shiro paused, sighing again and regaining any composure he felt he’d lost. His hand came up to his nose and pinched the bridge with his thumb and forefinger. “What can I do to fix this?” He gestured with his other hand. “To fix things between us?”

“You can leave me the hell alone.”

“But—”

“ _ Shiro! _ ” Keith’s voice exploded out of him, shocking both of them into silence. After a beat, he lowered his shoulders and let his fists loosen. His eye cast downward and he fiddled with his belt, tying it into a tight knot. “Look, just…just drop it. I’m not…I just can’t do this right now, okay?” He looked up at Shiro and that familiar sting in the back of his throat held back another wave of emotion. His mind had been racing with thousands of thoughts lately, and he just couldn’t handle it. He needed space. He needed to…think. “Please.”

Shiro visibly relaxed and his expression melted into that same smile he’d always given Keith. That welcoming, comforting smile that calmed Keith even on his worst days.  A smile he’d known his whole life. It sort of hurt now to see it again when it was no longer his to claim.

“Okay,” Shiro said quietly, and continued dressing into his dobok, turning away from Keith.

Somewhere inside his black bag, Keith’s phone buzzed. He fished for it and, after opening his locker up again, threw his bag in there and left the room into the main area.

He glanced down at his phone. It was a text from Hunk. Seeing the name alone on that little screen was enough to let Keith forget his anxieties. Momentarily, at least. He slid his phone unlocked and leaned against the cement hallway wall.

_ Just looked up the weather because I’m a grandpa. It’s hot as balls out. Be careful while kicking ass! :) _

Keith felt a smile stretch his lips and his fingers tapped quickly on the glass as he replied.

His eyes darted up for only a split second when Shiro walked by.

\----

If there was a way to stop his leg from bouncing he would’ve loved to hear it. Hunk fidgeted in his seat and he didn’t know what heart burn felt like but he was certain he was having it to the nth degree.

The time they had decided to meet at the dojang gave him just enough time to go back and change out of work clothes, but now he was regretting his choice. His go-to late summer outfit was a t-shirt he’d gotten on vacation with the sleeves cut off (thank you, Pidge). He looked down at the gecko with sunglasses printed on the front. Did he look too casual? It was just ice cream, not a five star restaurant. 

Okay, calm down.

Yeah, right. Like telling oneself to calm down ever  _ actually _ worked.

Hunk double checked his text from Keith with the stop’s name and he stood up. The city zipped by as he stared out the door windows, blurs of colors and shades of grey. The rhythmic sounds of the tracks settled his nerves a bit, allowing his thoughts to wonder.

When he finally got off the train, he made sure to read the directions over and over. He walked slowly, not wanting to get lost because he was incredibly prone to something like that. There was no way in hell he’d let his otherwise nonexistent sense of direction foil his date plans.

The dojang wasn’t anything really spectacular, he realized. He didn’t know what he expected of it. Maybe National Team made it sound like some sort of fortress sized training facility or a castle filled with endless masters of the ancient arts. Either way, it was not what Hunk expected. It was ordinary, tucked away between two newer, or at least refurbished, buildings, but it seemed to be well kept. The area around it was clean and the neighborhood had a very welcoming air to it. Hunk noticed that the entire area was called Arus rather than just the dojang itself. Maybe it didn’t have an actual name, and Keith just called it that. He smiled at an old woman putting out a potted plant, saying how beautiful it looked, and she called him a sweet boy before chuckling and walking back into her store.

“You found it!” Keith came out from behind the dojang’s alleyway nearly startling Hunk out of his skin as he walked up to it.

“Pretending to be Captain America?” Hunk smirked after regaining composure. Though his heart refused to calm itself and he had a fear it was going to be like that for a while. His hands were on his hips, sort of awkwardly puffing his chest out. He didn’t know why he was doing it. Maybe he had spliced genes of a peacock somewhere in his DNA.

Keith looked confused for a second and then glanced back at the alley. He snorted. “Oh, no. I just like going in and out the back.”

“That’s what--”

“Don’t have to talk to the owner that way.”

“Oh,” Hunk’s expression slackened and his shoulders lowered a bit. He was going to make an immature joke, but it seemed wrong to do so after that comment. “Do you…not like the owner?”

No answer came to that question.  Instead, Keith glanced down at his phone momentarily and then perked up. His hair was in a ponytail again today and he was wearing that same black v-neck. Or maybe he owned more than one. Hunk was definitely guilty of being a repeat purchaser of shirts, so he wouldn’t judge if that were the case.

“Let’s go!” Keith said and walked past Hunk, giving his chest a little smack as he did. “Nice shirt.”

Hunk couldn’t stop smiling as they made their way down the street.

“Y’know, I was wondering,” Hunk said after a few moments of comfortable silence. Keith simply hummed a question as a response. “If the dojang is off of this stop, why were you getting on at my stop on Friday?”

Keith got oddly quiet again, letting his eyes fall to his feet. With a shrug he said, “I sometimes need to walk a bit. Clears my head.”

Hunk couldn’t help but feel guilty for asking, but the feeling quickly dispersed as they rounded the corner.

An ice cream shop as quaint as this had only ever existed in cute movies to Hunk. He had no idea they were actually real. The door had a tiny bell that tinkled pleasantly as they made their way inside. The air was cool and had that all too wonderful smell that filled almost every ice cream parlor. It was like a chilled winter air, spiced with the sugary tang of waffle cones and vanilla. The air itself sweetened.

Seating was something straight out of the 70s and left much to be desired design-wise, but Hunk found it charming. Not to mention the place looked incredibly well kept considering the outdated interior. How could this neighborhood not be bustling with people? It certainly had more alluring tastes than half of the areas Hunk had traveled to in the city.

Keith walked up to the glass and peered in, eyes glancing over the rows of colors.

Hunk stood next to him and read one of the flavors.

“Bacon bits n’ cream?” He asked with an eyebrow raised way up. “Is that like some odd spin off of cookies n’ cream?”

“Anything with bacon is good, right?” Keith replied with a smile but kept his eyes on the flavors. “Coran likes to experiment.”

Before Hunk could ask who Coran was, a redheaded man came out from the back. He was tall, a bit lanky, but had one of the most impressive mustaches Hunk had ever seen in his entire life. His eyes lit up when he saw Keith leaned over and looking at flavors.

“Aaaah!” His voice rang out in a loud yell. Some of the other customers who were happily enjoying their treats turned toward him with curious expressions. Yeah, that was definitely a normal way of greeting someone. Yelling like an old-timey actor announcing his arrival. Sure. “Finally decided to show up again, eh Keith?”

“I figured you would miss me too much if I never came back,” Keith straightened up and put his hands on his hips.

“No, no, don’t lie that, you’ll break my heart. I know it’s my delicious kale and chocolate twist you desire.”

Hunk felt his stomach do a little flip. Kale? In ice cream?

As if sensing Hunk’s disbelief at the flavor choices, Keith turned to him and leaned in close. His voice was low in a whisper. “Don’t worry, there are normal flavors.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Keith smiled and winked. Hunk was certain he had just lost all feeling in his legs.

Luckily, Coran piped up again and the two jolted their attentions to him. His voice was loud and it carried quite easily in the confines of the small parlor. He definitely was approachable, if not overly friendly, but Hunk was happy to meet another person as giddily happy as he was. Plus, Keith seemed to know him pretty well, and that was more than enough to uplift Hunk.

After a few minutes of serious consideration, Hunk and Keith got their ice cream and sat at a corner booth. Hunk chose bubblegum because he was 12 years old and proud. Keith chose some mint green colored flavor. Pistachio, maybe? Hunk had been too distracted by Keith’s arm reaching over the counter to ask.

“You seem to be real friendly with the owner,” Hunk commented as he leaned back against the cold backrest. Keith didn’t seem to hear him. He had an elbow on the table and was staring out the window, ice cream going pretty much uneaten as of yet. Hunk pursed his lips a little, feeling a small twinge in his chest again. “Keith?”

Keith blinked out of his thoughts and turned his head to Hunk. Navy eyes met brown and it felt like lightning struck them both.

“S-sorry, I’m just a little out of it today.” His voice seemed oddly distant; a mood quite different than just a few moments ago. Hunk did not want this date to go badly. Something was obviously bothering Keith, not just today but for as long as he’d know him. Albeit not very long, Hunk was still able to tell.

So, Hunk did what his gut told him.

Improvise.

“Have you ever thought about the existence of aliens?” He said, eyes looking down to study his ice cream. His expression melded into that of a fake scientist; lips pouting and lids narrowing.

“W-what?”

Hunk nodded, closing his eyes and bringing his hand to his chin. “Mmhm, mmhm. Yeah, you really can never know for sure. This one time, my friend Lance and I were playing around in the cornfield behind my home and we found an area completely pressed down.”

Keith’s eyes widened and his posture straightened. The ice cream in his hand was just beginning to melt onto the napkin around the cone. But he didn’t interrupt; only silently listened with an expression that was hard to pinpoint.

“So, obviously I said we should leave, but Lance is way more adventurous than I am. We followed it and couldn’t find anything. But the next day both of us felt really sick, right? And Lance threw up something purple. He told me that he hadn’t eaten anything that color and to this day I believe him. It’s just really inconclusive, y’know? The truth is out there somewhere.”

It was at that point Hunk looked over at Keith. Hunk’s lips knit shut and he waited in anxious anticipation for some sort of reaction.

Keith fell back into his seat, letting out a small huff of air at the impact. There was a silence between them, not for very long, but definitely….unusual.

Suddenly, Keith’s shoulders trembled and his voice bubbled to the surface. A small chuckle exploded out of him and quickly escalated to a loud laugh. His eyes squeezed shut and his mouth opened wide, head reeling back as he practically cackled. The hand not holding ice cream lifted into the air, only to slap back down on the cold tabletop.

Hunk felt all of his air leave his lungs. Keith was so beautiful. Holy shit, he knew this already, but with a cute laugh like that Hunk was quite painfully reminded of the fact. His heart punched his chest and he felt his own laugh starting to surface.

The two laughed like that for quite some time, phasing in and out of bouts of giggles as soon as they looked at each other again. After a while, Keith had to wipe a tear from his eye. When he finally was able to calm down, he let out a long cooing sigh and looked up at Hunk.

“I was so worried I was going to make this awkward, but you just…” He began to chuckle again, and to stop it he placed his free hand over his mouth. He cleared his throat and started again. “Thank you.”

Hunk hadn’t expected that. He’d only done what his instincts had told him (and he really  _ did _ think about the existence of aliens from time to time) to break the ice. After that outburst of laughter, conversation between them flowed quite nicely. It was easy to see their personalities were compatible, if not a bit quirky. Hunk often got Keith to laugh which in turn brought Hunk unending amounts of joy. Long after their ice cream was finished, the two continue to chat.

\--

The sun was just setting, and the night crowd would soon come in. From behind the counter, Coran dried the newly washed scooper with a smile spread across his face. He watched the two converse and he took careful note of just how comfortable Keith seemed. It had been so long since anyone saw Keith laugh, let alone smile. He’d never seen this big guy’s face around though. Keith didn’t have many friends and the ones he  _ did _ have usually wound up being some sort of martial arts geniuses training with Allura.

Perhaps this guy was a new recruit for Allura.

Coran turned around and put the scooper back into a holder and grabbed another dish to dry. When he turned back around, he saw the big guy place his hand down on the tabletop. He was talking excitedly about something or other and Keith was watching him with a fixed gaze.

When Keith placed his hand on top of the big guy’s for only a short moment, Coran had to stop himself from diving straight over the counter.

 

\--

Another hour or so had passed and both of them decided they had loitered long enough. Coran, suddenly a very active participant in conversation with them, insisted they could stay, but they both had early days tomorrow.

Before they left, Keith properly introduced Coran to Hunk, stating that he’d known Coran practically his whole life. That he was a great story teller and that his family had owned this parlor for many years.

After they left the shop, Keith added, “He’s like a crazy uncle to me.”

Hunk couldn’t help but laugh at that. He had definitely sensed goofy uncle vibes from Coran. He wasn’t so sure about the guy’s taste in culinary experimentation, but Hunk could tell he was a genuinely kind man. The way he’d smiled at Hunk was a bit curious, but Hunk wasn’t going to worry about it. If he got to know him better, Hunk made a note to give him a few flavor pointers in the future.

The night time air felt cooler than usual, and the gross humid smell that the city usually radiated was otherwise nonexistent. Off in the distance, the train echoed and car horns blared. The city came alive at night in ways incomparable to anywhere else. Hunk liked that about it. In an area like Arus, the city transformed into a perfect blend of busy and calm. It was an area of limbo that toyed with the idea of a bustling nighttime city but maintained a peaceful demeanor of a suburb.

They walked quietly next to each other, the sounds of their footsteps acting as their soundtrack. Keith’s steps were soft, almost impossible to hear against the every so often scraping drag of Hunk’s. Keith came to a stop when they reached the dojang, placing his hands on his hips and looking up at the building he spent almost every day in for endless hours. Bugs flew around the small light just above the door and a few feet above that a light was on in the window. From what Hunk could see it looked like an apartment.

“Someone live up there?” He asked while pointing. Keith followed his finger upward and nodded.

“The owner,” He said while turning away from the building. Hunk could see Keith’s expression fall flat just like it had in the ice cream shop, and it killed him to know why. He couldn’t contain his curiosity; his crush for Keith had grown too strong too fast to stay quiet.

“Do you…have, um, issues with them?” He wasn’t quite sure how to phrase it, and that way was probably not the best, but it would do for now. Keith hadn’t answered before but maybe this time…

He saw Keith flinch, eyebrows pinching.

“No, it’s not…it’s nothing. She and I just don’t really get along that well. She’s kind of a hardass, too.”

“Oh,” Hunk had a feeling that wasn’t the whole truth. The tone of his voice seemed all too calm and riddled with an underlying tension that was impossible to know the source. But who was he to question Keith further? If he didn’t want to explain himself he didn’t have to. Hunk was fine just spending time with Keith and making him smile; maybe helping him forget whatever was troubling him.

He’d gladly accept all of those troubles if it meant Keith could laugh like that again. That laugh…was like experiencing Keith, the  _ real _ Keith, for the very first time. Keith was a labyrinth of characteristics and that laugh was just the tip of the iceberg. It was like there was this whole side to him that Hunk still had yet to discover. But Keith seemed to be slowly revealing these aspects to Hunk, bit by little bit, and Hunk would happily take them all in.

Keith suddenly turned to Hunk, walking around him and pressing a hand to his broad chest. Hunk’s feet shuffled a bit clumsily as he attempted to follow Keith’s actions.

A nervous, yet amused chuckle shook his shoulders. “W-what are you…”

His back was against the wall and Keith was close, so close, pressing his body flush against Hunk’s. His breath left him in a small shudder and he glanced at Keith. His eyes caught the orange glow from the light overhead and they glistened beautifully. His lips shone in the soft light and Hunk thought about kissing those lips again. He swallowed heavily, pressing his palms flat to the wall on either side of himself.

“Oh! Hello…” An unknown, shocked voice came from around the corner and Hunk pushed Keith away. He didn’t mean to…he didn’t  _ want _ to, but it was an automatic response. There was just  _ something  _ about this whole situation that felt like they were doing something wrong; breaking some rule. He heard Keith’s breath leave him in a surprised huff at the sudden contact.

“Ah! I’m…sorry…we, we were just—”

“Keith? What are you doing here still?” Hunk was practically invisible to the man whose rather piercing (but kind) eyes stared directly at Keith. This guy, this really broad shouldered…strong jawed…demi-god… knew Keith?!

Keith visibly tensed but spoke evenly. “Shiro, I thought you’d be home by now?”

“I was…” Shiro placed a hand on the back of his head and chewed on his bottom lip a bit. Was it just Hunk or was this completely and entirely awkward? It was like watching two inhuman creatures attempting at conversation for the first time. “Helping Allura with some…things.”

“Right,” Keith said. Hunk noticed how his back had gone tense, like his entire body was closing off to this Shiro guy. Hunk suddenly felt a surge of protective instinct.

“ _ We-- _ ” His voice came out a little shaky, but stepped forward, placing a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Uh, we were just leaving. Keith was gonna show me that thing…”

Shiro tilted his head with a slightly confused expression. Hunk realized at that moment that he was an attractive man. Really attractive. He had a curious scar over his nose but it did nothing to his damage his overall golden ratio features. He then realized he was staring longer than he should have. He gave Keith’s shoulder a little squeeze.

Keith too looked over at Hunk too with a furrowed brow, just as confused as Shiro.

_ Oh, come on. Know an out when you’re given one, dude! _

Hunk thinned his lips and widened his eyes just a little as if to say,  _ let’s leave now. _ Thankfully, Keith understood that nonverbal hint and nodded.

“Yeah, that one fountain at the park. I wanted to show it to Hunk. You know? Just the two of us. He and I. Alone. Without you.”

Okay, that was going a bit overboard…maybe Keith really didn’t like this guy. That…or he was just a really bad liar. It was amusing, actually, to see him sputter like that. Hunk had to lift a hand to his nose, faking a scratch to hide his smile. But that smile faded away very quickly. Keith’s fists clenched, Hunk saw them trembling. When he caught the hint of a tear in the corner of his eye in the light, he couldn’t hide his shock.

“O…kay?” Shiro’s confusion did not seem to fizzle away. His hand hesitantly lifted as if he was going to reach out to Keith, but he let it drop again. “I’ll see y—”

“Goodbye,” Keith grabbed Hunk’s hand and pulled him hard in the other direction. Hunk’s feet stumbled a bit, kicking up some loose cement on the street. It crinkled under his shoes as he struggled to keep up with Keith’s gait. They kept up this rather alarmingly quick escape for quite some time. They had almost reached the end of the street before Hunk looked back down to that small orange light of the dojang. He couldn’t see Shiro there anymore. He turned his head forward again.

“W-woah, hey, Keith. Hey! Can we slow  _ down _ maybe?”

“Huh? Oh,” Keith let go of Hunk’s hand and slowed. His breath was a little heavy and Hunk could see him swallow heavily as he brought a hand to his chest tentatively. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay…” Hunk’s voice trailed off. His almond eyes were studying Keith, taking in his body language, his rising and falling chest; his bangs that had begun to dampen with sweat. “Keith, are you alright?”

Keith looked at him, opening his mouth to answer. Hunk lifted a hand, to which Keith closed his mouth again in what looked almost like a surprised pout.

“Honestly. Like, are you  _ okay _ ? I know I…we…don’t really know each other, but you…Argh, I don’t know how to say this.” Running his hands through his hair did little to help calm his nerves. He was sweating too and the action slicked back some of his bangs. A breath escaped him in a deep sigh.

“Shiro is my ex.” Keith suddenly admitted with a voice that trailed off.

You didn’t have to be a genius to read the uncomfortable tension in the air. The date had gone well and Hunk wanted it to stay that way. He wanted Keith to…

Alright.

He had decided.

He was going to be resilient. Because…

Because Keith was special.

He looked directly into those dark blue irises, causing Keith to gasp at the sudden intensity.

“I can’t ask you to tell me everything about your life right away, I know. And I have no right to ask what is going on between you two but…just know, that I’m here for you. And I will always,  _ always  _ listen to what you have to say. That’s a promise.”

Keith didn’t say anything. Hunk expected as much.

He leaned over and pressed a small kiss onto his cheek.

“Goodnight,” was his parting phrase, paired with a real smile. He knew the way back to the station and it took all his power not to look back at Keith. He didn’t want to see if Keith was watching him leave…or worse, not watching him at all.

He felt like he was going too strong, too fast. Everything was a blur. It was all so new to Hunk and he had never felt this way before about anyone…let alone someone he’d just met a couple weeks ago. He wasn’t sure if it was the abrupt intimacy he had had with Keith or something else. He thought about Keith a lot. Not his body or that night. Just him. He liked Keith. Liked the way he laughed, the way he spoke, the way his eye squinted a little when he smiled.

But Keith was an enigma. An uncertain element that Hunk could not keep away from.

It was terrifying.

 

\----

 

The next day did not bring any surprises. Keith knew what was going to happen and he prepared himself. He also knew exactly what he was going to say. Rehearsed it in the shower and everything before heading out.

He ran into Hunk on the train, which was a wonderful highlight to his morning. It was only mildly awkward because of the incident with Shiro last night. But Hunk didn’t mention it. He was his regular smiling self and asked Keith how he was and was genuine about it. Listened to Keith’s simple answers but didn’t press for more. It was…refreshing to say the least. Hunk was like an injection of happiness directly into his bloodstream. With a contagious smile like that, Keith found it hard to be anything but content around the walking ball of sunshine.

The morning classes had already begun by the time he arrived in the Arus neighborhood. He took his time getting there, stopping by the flower shop to say hello to the shopkeep. She was a sweet, soft spoken old woman who kept her long silver hair back in a bun at all times. Her back was turned to the door when he opened it, but she didn’t even have to turn around to know it was him. Keith was certain she had a third eye somewhere. Or she was clairvoyant.

He thought about how Hunk would probably get a kick out of that. He almost smiled but the turmoil of emotions and thoughts kept him from doing so.

“You look so handsome today,” She said like she always did. Her hand has a slight tremor as she brought it over Keith’s, giving it a small squeeze. “You’re going to make  _ someone _ very happy someday.”

That was the other thing she always said. Almost everyone knew about the breakup. Arus was a smaller neighborhood within the city; nothing that happened here stayed secret for long. It was only a matter of time before people started asking about the “big guy”. Keith despised the idea of being pitied, but coming from her it…made him feel lost. It didn’t help the already raging tornado of thoughts that ransacked his mind.

“Thanks,” it was a somewhat sincere—if not completely multi-layered—thank you. “I’ll stop by at lunch to help you with the bags of soil!”

With that, he waved at her over his shoulder and left. He took a deep breath, stepping back out onto the street. The dojang waited for him… and so did the inevitable interrogation. A hint of a smirk curled the corner of his lip.

“Who was that last night?” Shiro asked as if on cue as soon as Keith was prepared to train. “The guy you were with.”

Keith sat down on the mat and tucked in a leg. He grabbed onto his straightened leg and leaned over; stretching and warming up his muscles. He let the question linger. A dramatic pause, really unnecessary, but all too sweet to Keith’s own selfish plan.

“A friend of yours?” Shiro asked, obviously giving in to the aggravating silence Keith was displaying.

“Yeah, I guess,” Keith said finally. His eyes stayed cast downward and he switched legs to stretch. It was a vague answer and he knew that, it was exactly how he wanted to answer. Yes, he had actually practiced saying those three simple words in the shower. He wanted the perfect amount of nonchalant flavor.

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith saw Shiro squirm a little. He was doing his own stretches, but Keith could tell that he was perturbed. It was in his nature. Shiro had always been like that; wanting to know any and all aspects of Keith’s life. He did it out of kindness, but Keith wasn’t going to let him have this. He was going to let him worry,  _ make _ him.

Hunk’s smile flashed into his mind’s eye and a bolt of pain seemed to pierce his heart.

_ What am I doing…? _

 

\----

 

He couldn’t cool down. His mind was swimming and his arms and legs felt like they were being poked at by a thousand fiery needles. The air around him felt warm too and no matter how high he set his fan.

There was no way last night was going to leave his head. It was practically torture not to talk about it on the morning train. He had gone all day at work thinking about the date, Shiro, his promise to Keith, and his mind was exhausted.

There hadn’t been any texts from Keith either. The day had gone by and it was almost midnight before Hunk finally had the courage to unlock his phone and open a new message to him.

He shrieked when the phone chimed in his hand; a text notification from Keith himself popped onto the screen.

_ I’m sorry about last night. Actually, I’m sorry about a lot of things. I know I can be weird sometimes and I know that I’ve probably made you uncomfortable more than once. Shiro and I had a really bad breakup. That’s basically the extent of it. We weren’t really together that long. It was just complicated, I guess. I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. It’s still hard to be around him. _

Hunk stared at his phone, taking in the words one by one and letting them soak into his mind. His heart would not calm down. Another text blipped onto the screen.

_ If by some miracle you don’t think I’m a total freak, I’d really like to see you again. _

He licked his upper lip, tasting the salty tang of his sweat and he rolled over onto his side. It didn’t really take that much thought. Hunk knew himself too well to know he’d have trouble just letting Keith slip away. He was too invested already.

Lance had always said that he cared too much. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was crazy to care this much about a guy he still…really didn’t know much about.

_ Our last soiree did not end the way it should have. _

Hunk was okay with crazy. He wanted to take the plunge. Whatever happened, happened.

_?? _

_ I make fricken amazing pancakes, and I hereby sentence you to a breakfast for dinner challenge! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Mak for ze beta!! Honestly, this is taking my complete and total concentration to continue. I am not a writer lol Come say hi to me on [tumblr](http://bimmykimmy.tumblr.com/)!


	3. Smolder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gradually getting closer

_::_

_If this is who I am, do I know myself?_

_::_

 

“I can’t believe you’re already making him dinner-breakfast!” Lance sounded ecstatic but he also loved being difficult so he added. “You _never_ make me dinner breakfast!”

Hunk had him on speaker and he simply rolled his eyes as he continued fixing his annoying AC. The damn thing kept breaking and he was _not_ going to let his apartment turn into an inferno before Keith came over. Of course, that wasn’t for a few hours and the nights were getting cooler now, but he needed to make sure it was perfect. Everything. Perfect.

Besides, he definitely needed something to keep his mind occupied lest he completely and utterly freak out.

“Lance, I’ve made you meals practically every day of your life.” He said plainly. To that, he heard Lance scoff.

“Yeah, but you moved away and now I’ve gotten so skinny I’m withering away.” His voice morphed into an impressive impersonation of an old woman. Hunk perfectly pictured the pantomime he was doing along with it.

“You’re being dramatic.”

 “It’s what I do best!” There was a pause that was followed by Lance whining again. “But breakfast dinner is so _special_!”

“Of course it is.”

“Then why did I never get iiiiiiit?!”

“Because I don’t want to date you, stupid.”

“Fair point.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a little bit. They did that quite often, actually. The phone calls didn’t always have to be filled with non-stop talking, although Lance definitely had a knack for doing that. Which Hunk didn’t mind, of course. He loved Lance and his ability to recount stories 10 times longer than necessary.

_Wait a second. Did I just…_

_Oh crap._

Hunk practically heard the synapses firing in Lance’s mind. He shouldn’t have said that. He _really_ shouldn’t have.

“Oh, Hunk!” His voice had that high pitched excitement that only Lance was capable of. Hunk knew he was getting red even from that noise alone. He busied himself with the air filter inside the AC, pulling out a part and futzing with it as if Lance could see him. “Hunk~!” Lance cooed again.

“Shut up, Lance.”

“Nope! Not this time, bud!”

Hunk took in a breath, about to silence his friend again, but Lance cut him off.

“Dude, I’m seriously so happy for you.”

“Y-yeah?” He was very red now. The smile tugging at his lips was all too welcomed.

“Yes! You’re coming out of your shell.”

“Like a ninja turtle?”

“Absolutely. The orange one—”

“Michelangelo, dude.”

“Yes, whatever. But anyways! You’ve never talked about _anyone_ like you talk about Keith. He really seems to be good for you.”

“I don’t wanna put him on a pedestal though. Y’know, precautions and such.”

“I know, I know. Nobody’s perfect. And besides, I can probably kick his ass at anything.”

“I told you about the whole National Taekwondo trainee thing, right?”

“Pfft, yeah. Whatever. That’s nothing to brag about. I can do like nine back flips on a trampoline.”

“Lance,” Hunk laughed, shaking his head. “That’s not…actually, you may have a point there.”

“Exactly!”

Hunk had finally fixed the AC, for good this time…he hoped. At this point, his phone conversation with Lance had gone on for entirely too long. Hunk needed to shower, to clean, to pray. The basics before your crush came over. Sure.

“Dude, I need to get ready.”

“Okay, okay! Don’t need to tell me twice. Are you gonna get in his pants again tonight?”

“GoodBYE Lance,” He responded, not callously but definitely embarrassed, and hung up.

He didn’t want tonight to be about _that._ Was it something he’d like in the future? Of course. He’d be insane to turn away another opportunity like that. Hunk was pretty wishy-washy when it came to sex, but he knew his desires when he felt them.

But Keith, as mentioned before, was special. He wanted to take things slowly now. Learn about him. Help him whenever he felt small, when his shoulders slumped and that distant look wiped away his smile. He wanted to become something special for Keith too.

 

\-- 

 

Hunk’s heart officially exploded as soon as he heard that small knock at the door. He had been in the kitchen preparing the breakfast-dinner when those three raps echoed into the apartment.

He must’ve gotten to the door a lot quicker than he’d planned because when he opened it he came face to face with the back of Keith’s phone. Keith was quick, moving it down suddenly and smiling into a friendly ‘hello.’

Hunk wasn’t Sherlock Holmes, but he knew someone fixing their hair in their front camera when he saw it. Something about that made him very, extremely happy. It wasn’t as if Keith needed to worry about looks anyway. He had that natural beauty that only so few were blessed with. Even with his often disheveled hair and same-outfit syndrome, Keith (in Hunk’s eyes) never lost that organic look. Was organic an appropriate word to describe someone’s good looks?

Well, whatever.

“Did you have any trouble getting here?” Hunk asked as he stood off to the side, gesturing for Keith to enter.

“Remarkably, googlemaps’ walking directions did not fail me.” Keith smirked a little as he walked in, stepping onto his heel and pulling off his shoes. “The murder alley is hard to forget too.”

Hunk laughed and his entire body felt light, like he would float away if he didn’t hold onto something soon. He didn’t quite know what to do with his arms suddenly, so he found himself leaning against the wall. At least this way he wouldn’t ascend.

“S-so, did you come here straight from Arus?” He tilted his head at that all too familiar bag slung over Keith’s shoulder.

“Ah, yeah,” Keith chuckled and let the bag slip off and land next to his shoes. “I’ve got a demonstration tomorrow morning so Allura has been hounding my ass to refine my form.” He looked up at Hunk who, admittedly, wasn’t really following. Keith sensed this and let a smile come back to his expression. “So, what about these ‘fricken amazing pancakes’ I’ve heard so much about?”

Hunk appreciated the segue in conversation. He really didn’t know all that much about taekwondo, or any martial art for that matter. From what he could guess, a presentation was important. So, he could’ve said “wow!” or “neat!” But that sounded so insincere. He also…didn’t know who Allura was. From the look of Keith’s face though, he could take a wild guess. The owner.

He pushed off the wall and bounced a little, like an excited child. “Honestly, you haven’t lived until you’ve tasted my pancakes.”

“There’s a euphemism in there somewhere, but I just can’t put my finger on it.” Keith was quick with the comeback and it left Hunk a little breathless.

He was so _good_ at flirting.

And Hunk was…not.

Being as such, he didn’t have a good response. He simply let out a laugh that he was certain sounded awkward, and he jerked his chin down the small hallway that lead to his living room. “Come on in. I was just about done.”

Keith followed quietly and Hunk couldn’t help but feel unfortunately robotic. His limbs were suddenly very limb…y. They were just _there._ Why did they have to be there?! He’d never felt so uncomfortable in his own apartment. Was this was aliens felt like when trying to blend in?

Thankfully, _thankfully,_ Keith was actually very good at small talk too. He’d been good at it at Coran’s ice cream parlor (once they got past the little hiccup and Hunk had successfully broken the ice with his plethora of conspiracy theories). His voice dragged Hunk away from his potential robotic-limb crisis.

“I didn’t see this poster last time.”

Hunk glanced over at Keith, whose eyes are trained on an original 1978 _Halloween_ poster that was tacked up just above the waist-height bookcase.

“’The night _He_ came home,’” Keith read the bold white letters and turned to Hunk, blinking slowly. “Is this like a horror film poster or something?”

Hunk let his own gaze zip between Keith’s questioning expression and the orange jack-o-lantern and knife on the poster. He gaped, “You…you’ve never seen _Halloween_?”

Keith pursed his lips and looked back at the poster; his eyes studied it like one studies a piece of art. Hunk would argue that the poster _was_ a piece of art, of course, but that was a moot point.

“This is the one with the hockey mask, right?”

“Oh, gosh. No, no, _Keith_. This is a travesty! You poor sheltered child. This is probably the staple horror film in the history of the world.” His dramatics got him a laugh from Keith, which filled his chest with a comfortable warmth.

Keith followed Hunk into the small kitchen, listening while Hunk revealed his entire mental archive of information on _Halloween_ and its impact on cinematography and film scores. There was a couple stools just off to the side of the counter that Keith pulled up and sat on, smiling and nodding at the appropriate times.

The pancake batter was perfect, or so Hunk would insist, and it sizzled loudly as he poured it with professional precision onto the hot skillet. The sausage and bacon were cooking well too. Bits of grease sprinkled out onto the edges of the stove that Hunk didn’t bother with now, he’d have time to clean later. For now, he was too busy being entirely and completely aware of the fact that Keith was leaning on his countertop, hands on his chin, listening to his endless babbling.

_We’ve certainly come a long way since being complete strangers on the train, haven’t we?_

“The first batch is usually shit,” Hunk explained as he flipped the tanned pancake. A bit of batter splattered on the opposite side of the pan, and Hunk decided it was going to be a baby pancake.

“Looks okay to me,” Keith leaned forward and grabbed one of the finished pancakes off of the ever-growing pile. Hunk suddenly felt himself freeze as he watched him take a bite, close his eyes, and quite eloquently pronounce “ _mmm_ ” in the sexiest way Hunk had ever experienced.

When Keith opened his eyes again and smirked at Hunk, who had successfully screwed up the next pancake to flip, he quoted, “Fricken amazing.”

 

\--

 

Dinner for breakfast was a great success. Hunk managed to make entirely too many and scolded himself for not knowing how to cook for anything less than an army. This statement was meant to be a thought, but Hunk had (not surprisingly) spoken out loud. To this, Keith had to laugh. He explained, with a bit embarrassed demeanor, that he had a bottomless pit for a stomach. Hunk honestly couldn’t believe how much this guy could down. Bottomless pit didn’t even scratch the surface.

Needless to say, the pancake supply was quickly diminished. Baby pancake too!

So, now officially in food-induced lethargy, Keith and Hunk sat on the couch chatting.

“I’m telling you, it’s a must see!” Hunk couldn’t drop it. He just couldn’t. If Lance were here, he probably would’ve had an aneurism at the travesty of Keith never having seen _Halloween._ Coming from a small town with its fair share of creeping stories, a film like _Halloween_ resonated well with Lance and Hunk. They dressed as Michael and Laurie. Hunk had to be Laurie, Lance had insisted. That was definitely an interesting costume to explain to his mother.

Keith sat crossed legged and leaned back against the cushion. “Ugh, okay fine!” He feigned exhaustion and gestured vaguely toward Hunk’s television. “I’m too full to say no anymore. Play away.”

 

\--

 

“John Carpenter,” Keith read the credits aloud as that chilling theme song played into the darkness of Hunk’s apartment.

“A legend,” Hunk responded. He and Keith sat next to each other, close, and Hunk’s heart slammed in his chest. He hoped Keith couldn’t hear it.

“I’ve definitely heard this music before,” Keith mentioned, and Hunk felt his scoot in a bit closer to him. “I heard it all the time when I had a part time job at a Halloween store.”

“You worked at a Halloween store?!”

Keith nodded, eyes trained on the screen that now faded into a shaky cam shot of a quaint white house at night.

“That’s amazing.” Hunk paused, slowly putting his arm up. Half on the couch, half on Keith’s shoulder. Keith didn’t seem to mind.

He shrugged, still focused on the TV. “It was just a job.”

Hunk had seen the movie so many times it was nearly impossible for him to lose track of the plot. So, with this advantage, he took to watching Keith instead of the film. He enjoyed all the little emotions Keith let slip out as he watched. As passively as he had agreed to watching it, there was no denying that he was absolutely sucked in.

 _Halloween_ was one hell of movie.

Well, while this was certainly true, it was not strong enough to keep Keith’s eyelids from drooping and head from bobbing.

Hunk had actually been watching the screen when he suddenly heard a soft snore next to him. He had been keenly aware of the growing weight against his shoulder, but he hadn’t really made the connection of actually Keith steadily falling asleep.

He turned to Keith, watching him for a moment before biting his lip in thought. It pained him to do this, but…he placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder and shook him slightly.

Keith woke up instantly, gasping slightly as he sat up straight.

“It’s late,” Hunk said quietly. Looking at Keith, waiting.

Keith blinked for a moment and glanced over at the film then back at Hunk.

“I should probably go home, shouldn’t I?” He yawned and rubbed his eye, stretching back as he did so.

The small hint of his stomach that peeked out from underneath the riding up shirt made Hunk clear his throat.

There was an odd pause. A lull in the room that was quite…familiar. It was déjà-vu, no doubt, and one that brought back sensory memories that had Hunk feeling warm.

Hunk felt his heart pump sludge through his veins, but his voice found itself. By some miracle, that is.

“You could, uh, you could sleep over if you need to.”

He heard Lance hooting and hollering in his mind, but he quickly silenced the intrusion.

The invitation hung in the air for a while. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel uncomfortable. It was as if Keith was honestly considering his options.

“I have my bag,” He said after a while. Hunk saw him swallow, Adam’s apple bobbing. “If you really don’t mind?”

“Blanket nests are my forte.”

Keith chuckled. And the mood felt light again. Comfortable.

In a word, perfect.

 

\--

 

Hunk hadn’t woken up to the feeling of sunlight hitting his skin since the last time he’d spent the night with Keith. Usually it was the buzzing coupled with an automated ringtone of his phone waking him up. And he’d always feel groggy, dragging in the morning. Now, it was a warm sensation, relaxing, and all too perfect. He could lay there forever if the demands of life didn’t say otherwise. He shifted a little, turning onto his side to see Keith sleeping soundly on his back. A hand was tucked under the pillow while the other flopped listlessly over the edge of the bed. His hair spilled over the white fabric like tiny rivulets of obsidian. The sun brightened his face in a way that made Hunk just stare.

And stare he did. Keith looked so peaceful while asleep. His expression was slack and his body relaxed. Keith wasn’t small, but in the sunlight, surrounded by the white sheets and pillows, he looked…different. Delicate? No, that wasn’t it. Whatever it was, Hunk liked it. He sighed, his chest rising high and falling once more as he watched Keith sleep.

Sure, it might’ve been a little weird to do that, but it would be Hunk’s secret.

And probably Lance and Pidge’s eventually.

They both had a talent for pulling information like CIA agents.

Mere minutes passed before Keith was stirring next to him, groaning awake in a way that Hunk would cherish for an embarrassingly long time.

“What…” Keith’s voice had a melted, sleepy tone to it that Hunk was certain would come in handy for future reference. “What time is it?”

Hunk turned over for a moment, pressing his phone and glancing at the small digital numbers.

“9:55 on the dot.” He turned back to Keith, smiling.

Keith smiled too, hair falling over his eyes so beautifully that Hunk actually felt like crying.

But then the illusion crumbled.

Hunk watched the bliss (dare he call it that?) slip away from Keith’s expression. He sat up instantly, shaking the bed as he did so.

“Oh my God, it’s _10:00?!_ I have the evaluation in a half hour...” Keith’s face was like a deer in headlights; ready to dart in the wrong direction at any given moment. And Hunk felt the bed shift with Keith, ready to jump.

“I have a car,” Hunk said suddenly. His hand planting on Keith’s shoulder with adamant resolve. Somewhere deep inside of Hunk it might’ve been a gesture to keep him there. In his room. Together.

He didn’t want Keith to leave so suddenly. He wanted him to stay. Forever.

Well…not _forever_. That’d be…

That’d be silly.

Keith’s eyes met Hunks and they searched for a moment with an unreadable emotion.

“Wh—? Oh, I—no, Hunk you don’t have to—”

“I don’t mind, really!” Hunk was already getting up, grabbing for a fresh shirt and hustling out of the room and into the bathroom. “You’ll never make it in time taking the train.”

Keith sat there for a moment, feeling his face warm and his chest fill with a pleasant feeling. His hand made its way up, tucking a hair behind his ear as a smile pulled his lips.

“C’mon, lazy bones!” Hunk was at the bedroom door; smile bright and eyes shining. Keith climbed out of the bed, bursting out of the plethora of pillows in a rather impressive display of morning energy.

 

\--

 

The raw power behind each punch was breathtaking. Keith's fists were like tiny explosions cutting into the air. His body moved gracefully, stepping strongly as he maneuvered through different stances and punches. The steady bursts of breath added an awesome intensity to each movement. Hunk found himself gaping when Keith moved to the outer edge of the mat.

His legs looked strong, his back straight and his eyes focused. He’d never seen an expression like that on Keith’s face.

It was like seeing him for the first time.

Hunk liked the feeling.

Thace (as he had been introduced to Hunk as Keith and him came running into the dojang just in time) walked onto the mat as well, bowing slightly before moving into his own powerful stance. He lifted a small piece of plywood, no wider than a loaf of bread, with outstretched arms. 

Way above his head.

 _What_.

Hunk darted his eyes from the woodblock to Keith. Keith's brows were knit in concentration, eyes gleaming with a fiery focus Hunk had also never seen before.

Keith breathed out deeply then suddenly launched himself forward a few steps. His body moved so quickly that Hunk was almost certain he'd missed something because before he knew it, Keith was lifting off the ground. His body arched high into the air, turning sharply and bringing his foot into dead contact with that small area of wood. The precision of that kick alone was more than impressive.

The plank splintered instantly, a few shards cracking off into the opposite wall's mirror. Keith landed with as much grace as he had had taking off and shifted into an ending stance. His fists came together in conclusion and he lowered them, breathing out with eyes closed.

_Holy shit._

_I’ll gladly let him kick my ass any day._

_No, shut up. That's inappropriate._

"Well done, Keith." Allura said from the other side of the room. Her face was set in a stern look, her (rather impressive) arms crossed over her chest. She leaned against the wall with one foot up against the white cement. "Keep performing like that and maybe you'd actually have a chance at the team." 

A few other trainers chuckled at that, obviously accustomed to these types of deprecating comments.

Yikes.

Keith had not been joking when he said the owner, and apparently his trainer, was a real hardass. She was powerful, gorgeous, and obviously renowned if the amount of students she had was any indication. Hunk glanced her way, then back to Keith, who seemingly refused to look at her. He grabbed a towel off the rack to wipe his face as he began to leave the main area.

"Keith?" Hunk instantly stood up and began to follow, a bit of concern written on his face. Keith looked back and smiled, shaking his head.

"I'm fine," He said in a lowered voice. "Just need to use the bathroom." 

When Hunk reached him he wasn't entirely convinced. He had grown to recognize that underlying sadness when he saw it. He looked back over his shoulder at Allura for a quick moment before looking back at Keith. Something wasn’t right.

"Are you sure?”

There was a hesitance in Keith’s answer. He breathed in, opening his mouth to speak but closing it just as quickly. His face was red, blotchy, and a single trail of sweat cascaded down his temple.

Hunk didn’t want to push him. Not when things were going so well.

“I thought you looked amazing, by the way. Like, I'm pretty sure you broke physics."

Keith laughed but his eyes suddenly darted somewhere beyond Hunk. Hunk noticed this and squinted a bit, starting to turn to what he probably guessed was a snarky teammate considering the bout of laughter he heard behind him. 

Before his head turned, however, Keith placed his free hand on the side of Hunk's face and pulled it in. He pressed his lips against his in a soft, chaste kiss. They parted with a small pop and Keith smiled. His thumb glided along Hunk’s bottom lip. Hunk stared at Keith, who’s own eyes avoided his. He looked like he was in thought, but he soon looked back up with another smile. He pressed his index finger to Hunk's nose, giving it a little tap, and left to use the bathroom.

"Pretty impressive wasn't he?" Shiro's voice suddenly came from behind Hunk. He turned to him with wide eyes. "His kick, I mean." He added with a smirk. 

Hunk was absolutely stunned. He tried to remember how to form words into sentences but was finding that really rather difficult at the moment. 

Keith kissed him.

Sure, it wasn't the first time, but it was absolutely the first time...like _that_. Hunk could feel eyes on him and his body was on fire. 

"Hunk," Shiro stole him from his reverie. A strong hand came down on his shoulder and gave a small squeeze. "Can I talk to you a moment?" His voice was oddly serious, so much so it caught Hunk off guard. He could only nod and follow Shiro out to the front of the dojang. There were definitely many pairs of eyes on him as he walked by. Hunk wasn’t necessarily the best at being the center of attention, so he pretended not to notice any of them.

The reality of the situation settled in quite quickly as soon as he left the dojang’s front doors. Shiro, Keith’s ex, was pulling him aside to _talk._

Was this going to be a fight?! Hunk was just as good with confrontation as he was at being the center of attention. So, not good.

And he was pretty sure Shiro was capable of murder if provoked. Look at those biceps!

Shiro was not provoked, not in the least. He actually looked really…content. He leaned against the brick wall and looked up at the empty blue sky.

“I wanted to say thank you,” His voice was calm and honest. His almond eyes hid his rises, giving his gaze a very distant, thoughtful look. Wise beyond his years, no doubt.

What was he like with Keith? Hunk wondered.

Hunk shifted his weight from foot to foot and his fingers fiddled with the hem at the bottom of his shirt. “I, um, I don’t really know why you’re thanking me?”

And he honestly didn’t. Shiro didn’t really have reason to be talking to Hunk. Hell, he’d only ever seen the guy once and that was really unfortunate timing. Being…all up on Keith like that. Or vice-versa.

Either way…

Shiro chuckled and looked toward Hunk. “You and Keith dating, I mean.”

Hunk felt his face instantly give off the heat of a thousand furnaces. He lifted his hands timidly, shaking them along with his head. “N-no, we ah, we’re not really. I mean…we haven’t talked about it…It’s—well, I’d _like_ to, b-but we—”

The knowing look Shiro gave Hunk silenced his rambling. He felt his shoulders relax under Shiro’s steady gaze.

“Sorry,” Hunk said with a sheepish smile. To that, Shiro simply shook his head.

“Keith has been happier, if you could call it that, since he met you.” He folded his arms across his chest and looked down at his shoes. He kicked at some loose pebbles. “Honestly, things had been getting pretty bad between us.”

Hunk suddenly felt very nervous; like he was hearing information he should be allowed. Keith had given him a brief explanation of his and Shiro’s past but…he hadn’t felt like it was his place to question it further. A part of him wanted to walk away, to plug his ears and say _lalala_. He wasn’t strong enough to stifle the growing satisfaction he felt however.

Keith was still an enigma, more or less. Hunk wanted to know more. So he could help.

A passing car horn blaring took their attentions only briefly before the two looked at each other once again.

“I think Keith is finally over me,” Shiro said it with such bravado that Hunk was scarcely sure he heard him correctly.

To emphasize his confusion, Hunk blinked once, twice, then felt his shoulders slump forward. “Huh?” He so eloquently inquired.

Shiro shrugged and smiled, it was warm and consoling and Hunk had a hard time not feeling anything but comfort because of it. “I’m sure he didn’t tell you but Keith didn’t…He didn’t take our breakup very well.”

“I see…”

“He has a temper, obviously, but everyone wants him to be happy. I certainly do. Keith is…” He searched for the words, his gaze falling away slightly. “He’s like a brother to me.” He chuckled suddenly. “I’m sure he’d hate hearing that.”

Hunk couldn’t laugh, he barely felt like he could breathe.

Shiro continued, “Every day was a surprise. He would ignore me, lash out, sometimes he wouldn’t show up to practice for days. Honestly, I had to convince Allura more than once not to ax him. He’s a very capable martial artist and I’d hate to see his dream be thrown down the toilet because of…well, something that  was my choice.”

Oh.

_Oh._

It was like that.

Hunk pressed his lips into a thin line, listening and barely nodding.

“But now…since _you,_ he seems different. Happier. Or at least, not focused on hating me. He’s talked about you, you know, and he thinks I haven’t noticed but he smiles every time you text. I think he and I can finally get this behind us. So, thank you.”

The extended hand in front of Hunk was more than an opening to a handshake. It was like a permission. A new beginning, perhaps. Hunk took Shiro’s hand and shook it once firmly, matching Shiro’s professionalism (albeit a bit strange). He still wasn’t entirely sure that this…this, whatever it was, was appropriate. A part of him still felt guilty, like he should’ve shut Shiro up.

But he didn’t.

So, now he had to live with his choice.

Whatever that might've entailed.

“Treat him right, Hunk,” Shiro said with another squeeze to his hand before pulling away. He then shrugged again, lifting his palms up and smiling. “I know you will, but I gotta say it. Y’know?”

Hunk was about to say something to effect of: What are you, his dad? But he thought better not to. Instead, he stuck with, “I really like him.”

That was…

Just great.

A good, solid way to end a very weird conversation.

Shiro smiled and walked by him, heading back into the dojang, He paused a moment and placed a hand on Hunk’s shoulder. His eyes met Hunk’s and Hunk could tell they were saying “I know,” in the kindest way possible.

Hunk felt his cheeks flare with heat again and he had to look away to his feet.

The soft sounds of distant traffic and the echoing _ratta-tat_ of the train left him alone to his thoughts. Thoughts that crept slowly, dangerously, as the realization set in. It was like a wave of nausea that sent shivers up his spine, a small electric current that ran through his veins and out his finger tips.

Hunk heard the door open again and he looked up to see Keith’s smiling face. The smile was definitely sheepish, like Keith had an inkling what conversation had just happened. At least, Hunk read it that way. His heart tightened a bit, swelling with delight he never knew he was capable of having.

Keith was so incredible. So…dynamic. A mystery that kept unfolding before Hunk’s very eyes.

Shiro said Keith seemed happy.

 _Happy_.

Hunk might be the reason for this happiness.

That alone was enough to fuel Hunk with the energy of a hundred suns.

He watched as Keith walked over to him, eyes staring right into Hunk’s and practically floated into his arms. Hunk smoothed his palms up and down Keith’s arms.

Keith really did look good in that dobok, if Hunk was blatantly honest.

_Keith was over Shiro._

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can leave,” Keith said after a moment. He glanced down briefly at Hunk’s large hand on his right arm. His unspoken meaning was read loud and clear.

“I’ll stay. I think I really like taekwondo.”

Keith met his eyes again, smile widening and eyes sparkling with a shine Hunk would love to memorize someday. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Keith’s lips had never felt so soft.

 

\--

 

The passing weeks could really only be described in one word: amazing.

Hunk had easily grown into a new daily routine. A bit different than the one he’d grown accustomed to. One that he also accepted quite enthusiastically.

His morning commute was the highlight, of course. Every morning he’d step onto that train with the brightest smile. Some days Keith wasn’t as chipper–turned out he wasn’t exactly a morning person once he got past the…um, formalities stage with Hunk. Although, technically they had gone about that backwards hadn’t they? Either way, Keith was not a morning person. Morning meaning literally any time before noon.

This day was one of those days. His hair was loose and looked like he hadn’t brushed it yet. One piece near his ear flipped out. Hunk bit into his smile at how cute it was.

“Sleepy?”

“Hn,” Came Keith’s groggy response. It was then that Hunk noticed the small bandage around his wrist.

“Woah, what happened? Are you okay?” He let his hand touch Keith’s, delicately and with a bit of caution, but concerned nonetheless.

Keith made a small grunting noise and shrugged. He pulled his hand away, not unkindly, and cradled it in his other.

“Just got a little over zealous.” His eyes focused on the buildings passing by the window. “Allura finally gave me good motivation.” He chuckled shortly. He was smiling too, but Hunk could see the frustration there.

Of course things weren’t as completely fine as Hunk erroneously believed.

Keith was human, after all. And under tremendous amounts of pressure no doubt. Hunk quickly discovered the intensity of his training. Keith pushed himself to his limits day in and day out, sweating, shedding blood, working his ass off until his muscles screamed and his body quivered. He was incredible.

Hunk wanted to lift some if that pressure off his shoulders. In any way he could.

He had an idea.

Well, Lance had had an idea.

But the rest of the idea was carried out by Hunk.

“Can I see you tonight?” He asked. Keith turned towards him and his mouth morphed into a smile, one that felt especially for Hunk. Hunk got a little giddy at that.

“I’d love that,” He said.

“Good, cuz I want to show you something.”

Keith quirked an eyebrow but agreed nonetheless. He trusted Hunk, as goofy and pretty spontaneous as he could be, he was a good guy. Whatever he was planning would probably be able to be chalked up onto another board of firsts for Keith.

“Is this another dungeons and dragons thing?” He said through a smug look.

Hunk gasped, rather ostentatiously (he learned it from Lance), and lifted a finger to Keith’s face. “I asked you _one_ time! One time to do a campaign with me. Will I never live it down?!”

Keith’s eyes practically crossed looking at Hunk’s accusatory finger, but he soon tilted his head back in that sweet laugh Hunk enjoyed so much.

“I told you I wasn’t opposed to the idea!”

Hunk dropped his hand and shot Keith the most incredulous, sassy look he’d ever committed to. Keith buckled under the pressure and lifted his own hands in surrender.

“Okay, okay! So I think it’s a _little_ weird. But if you like it then that’s all that matters, right?”

“Right,” Hunk agreed with a businesslike nod. He then added, “And we both agree that it’s too sophisticated for you anyways so let’s move on. Now, as for today’s— _ow!_ ”

Keith’s good hand jabbed him right in the arm as Hunk tried to skirt over the insult. It wasn’t a hard punch; just enough to teach Hunk a lesson. Hunk rubbed his arm with a pout, but the laugh under his breath was undeniable.

“I’ll meet you at the usual place at 6, deal?” Hunk looked up at the LED display. His stop was just two away.

“Deal,” Keith folded his arms across his chest and scooted down the cold seat, leaning against Hunk. Before he did so, however, he kissed the spot where he’d punched. Hunk felt his heart squeeze. “It’s cold today.”

“Only in the mornings. It’ll be hot as balls by noon.”

“Hunk, 60 degrees is not hot.”

“Eh, agree to disagree.”

He could feel Keith’s chuckle against his shoulder, and it was a feeling he’d never ever forget.

 

\--

 

“Well?” Hunk gestured openly, waiting for a response from Keith. Unsurprisingly, it did not come.

“Um…”

“Oh, come on! Don’t you think it’s a good idea?! Lance thinks it’s a good idea.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Lance thinks a _lot_ of things are good ideas...”

“ _Eh pep pep!_ ” Hunk lifted a finger, tutting at Keith like scolding a child. “Just because you and Lance don’t see eye-to-eye on _Halloween_ doesn’t mean you get to be rude.”

He had a point. Keith and Lance didn’t necessarily…get along. It was strange, really. Seemingly unprovoked. But sometimes certain people just didn’t click.

Hunk had been very excited for Lance and Pidge to meet Keith, so he had set up a skype call. It had been going well until Lance mentioned the breakfast-for-dinner date/not date-turned sleepover that Hunk had gushed about to him.

And how Keith had fallen asleep during the screening.

Which, to Lance, was an insult to not only the movie but to himself (for whatever reason he could come up with).

Needless to say, it was petty bickering and it wasn’t anything that Keith couldn’t handle. But ever since then there was just this _feeling_ in the air every time Hunk mentioned one to the other.

Hunk had meant to ask Lance about it; never got the chance.

Keith chuckled and surrendered. “Sorry,” He looked back down to the extensive party-plans Hunk had written up, diagramed, and otherwise spent entirely too much time on, and ran his finger along one of the papers. “Is he going to come up to the city for it?”

Hunk nodded enthusiastically. Both Lance and Pidge were more than delighted to visit. They both had been pestering him for weeks (mostly because they wanted to embarrass Hunk IRL in front of Keith, but also because they missed Hunk). Halloween, understandably, was the trio’s favorite holiday too. So, naturally they all agreed that a Halloween get-together was a must.

“Pidge is going to come too. You’ll love her,” Hunk plopped down on his couch, smiling as he watched Keith look over his comprehensive party plans again.

Suddenly, Keith’s eyebrows furrowed. He picked up a particular piece of paper that Hunk was extremely proud of. “Is this…” He held the paper up to his face for a moment, then pulled it away, staring over at Hunk incredulously. “Hunk, is this a blueprint for a _haunted house?_ ”

Once again, Hunk nodded with too much vigor. “I’ve got this vision, y’know?! I can see it perfectly,” He stood and walked over to Keith and took the paper from him. He held it up to the light of his lamp, outstretching his hand beyond the paper as he continued. “Cobwebs and all!”

“Where will you put it?”

“Huh?”

“You can’t fit all of that in your little apartment, right?” Keith put his hands on his hips and came up next to Hunk and looked up at the blueprint.

There was a long silence. Hunk had…

Hunk had not considered that.

Rookie mistake.

He could hear Shay giggling now.

“Shit…”

He heard another giggle, Keith’s, and he looked over at him with a successfully pathetic pout. Curled lip and everything. Hunk was getting rather good at these dramatics. Lance’s personality was like a virus, really.

Hunk felt his heart leap, even after all this time, when Keith’s hand came up to his and placed his fingers over Hunk’s. He was close, _so close,_ to Hunk that Hunk felt his breath as he spoke.

“I bet Coran knows a good, abandoned place near Arus that we could hijack.”

“Really?!”

Keith put his other hand on the small of Hunk’s back, pressing gently. Hunk’s skin felt hot where he touched.

“Yeah.”

Keith turned to Hunk, taking the blueprint out of his hand and letting it flutter to the carpeted floor. His arms came up to Hunk’s shoulders, lacing his fingers around Hunk’s neck and leaning against him.

“Maybe we can open it to the public. Make some money.” He said quietly.

“How about a fundraiser?”

“Sure, that too.”

“For the dojang! That place could use some sprucing up. The 70s architecture is so…Well, I digress.”

“Mmhm.”

Hunk suddenly felt Keith’s hand trace down his back, finger hooking onto one of his belt loops. He also brought his other hand around to Hunk’s tie. He had been too eager to show Keith his plans to change out of his work clothes. Keith tugged at it ever so slightly, enough that Hunk caught on (Thank God, he did).

“It’ll be so spooky,” Hunk said through a smile.

“Hmm,” Keith pressed in closer. Hunk was only a little taller than him, but just enough for him to tilt his head up ever-so-slightly, giving Hunk the best view of his heavy lids and parted lips.

“Do you even like Halloween?” Hunk wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist, and it felt so perfect. Keith was so perfect. Against him. Here. “You don’t really seem like the type.”

“Nope.”

“So that Halloween store job really was _just_ a job?”

“Yep.”

“Well, nobody’s perfect.”

“You are.”

“ _Oooh_ , watch it. You may seduce me with those words.”

“Is that a promise?”

Keith may have been made of pure muscle, but Hunk found that he felt so very light when he picked him up. Those strong legs wrapped around Hunk’s waist as soon as he lifted him. He pinned Keith to the wall, kissing his neck, his collarbone. Hunk wasn’t going to be prudish. He was damn lucky Keith had strong endurance. He’d always wanted to pull a stunt like this off, like in the movies. Hunk was easily strong enough to hold Keith up, and Keith’s soft moans into his mouth indicated he wasn’t at all opposed to the current position.

Those fingers tangled in Hunk’s hair, tugging slightly, never shook, never hesitated. Those lips Hunk now kissed, never trembled, never faltered. And those eyes. Those deep, deep blue eyes. Irises blown, staring at Hunk with absolute desire.

When Hunk finally carried him to the bedroom, he couldn’t stop the thoughts from singing in his mind.

_I love you._

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry this took 9 million years to update! I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless!


	4. Overheat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting serious. But first, HALLOWEEN PARTY!

 

::

 

 _When I get angry, I feel weak_  
_And hear these voices in my head_  
_Telling me to fall beneath_  
_Cause they'll make everything okay_

 

::

 

 

Hunk was certain Coran was either secretly a mob boss or just had a _really_ vast knowledge of…well, everything. He found a vacant building to be used for Hunk’s overzealous haunted house ambitions with such ease that Hunk hardly believed Keith when he called.

“There’s no way,” Hunk tapped his knuckle onto the screen, setting Keith to speaker as he chopped potatoes. “That was less than a _week_.”

The soft chuckle from the other end of the line was like music to his ears. A smile tugged at his lips as he got into a good chopping rhythm. Autumn was in full swing and that meant chilly weather, warm sweaters, and lots of Hunk’s homemade beef stew. He insisted Keith try it before it was too late (you had to eat it _before_ there was frost on the ground), but Keith had been increasingly busy lately. Hunk was pretty busy at work too; with Shay’s new interest in Hunk’s mind and innovations, he hardly had a day alone to himself in the office. All this business added up to very little face-to-face time with Keith.

Hunk didn’t mind…much. It was nice to see him on the train at least. He had that. That was enough for now.

“It’s old and has weird broken windows and exposed brick and everything,” Keith added after a few moments. There was an enthusiasm in his voice that Hunk couldn’t help but find absolutely endearing. “It isn’t too far from Arus, actually. I bet I could get the guys to help out. Thace is pretty terrifying, he could be a decoration.”

“I bet he’d love to hear that,” Hunk quipped. “How has training been going, anyway?”

He heard a soft sigh emanate from his phone, the typical reaction he got when he asked Keith about training. It wasn’t that Keith disliked it; he couldn’t get enough of it actually. When he wasn’t politely listening to Hunk’s raving about obscure science fiction films or manatees, he was idly scrolling through articles and blogs and YouTube videos about taekwondo. It didn’t take Hunk very long to realize just how important it was to Keith. His whole life revolved around it. He simply had a complicated relationship with it at this point.

“Allura kicked my ass the other day.”

“What did you do?”

“I’m offended you think _I_ did something.”

Hunk could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m waiting,” he sneered, emphasizing his sass with a prominent chop of potato.

“She was just proving a point! That’s it. Besides, all that matters is I ended up flat on my back and groaning.”

Hunk laughed and shook his head. There probably was much more to that story, but he was happy enough to hear whatever Keith wanted to divulge. That was what Hunk discovered about Keith’s and his….relationship? He could safely call it that at this point, right? Well, perhaps not. They hadn’t really made it official or anything. Hunk never seemed to have the guts to talk about it what spare time he had with Keith these days.

However, Hunk was very much an open book, Keith was not. He was very particular on what he said and when he said it, like he was constantly on eggshells. Hunk had been afraid it was somehow his fault, but Keith quite adamantly proclaimed that he just didn’t want to bother anyone with the many silly little things that run through his head.

Hunk had half a heart to say that he very much wanted to know all those little things. Every single silly one.

But maybe another time.

While Hunk lifted his cutting board and poured the cubed potatoes into the pot, Keith cleared his throat and let out a nervous chuckle.

“Which reminds me…do, uh, do you want to…”

His voice cut out so suddenly that Hunk turned back to his phone and picked it up. Taking it off speaker, he held the phone up to his ear and walked over to plop his knife and cutting board in the sink. “Keith? You still there?”

“Y-yeah, sorry,” he responded with an airy laugh. “I was just thinking of something ridiculous.”

“Hey, that’s _my_ job! What was it?”

“Nah, never mind. Like I said, it was ridiculous.” There was a small pause. “What I said just now made me think of…”

“What?”

“No, neverm—”

“Keith…”

“Um, phone sex.”

“Are you kidding me?” Hunk was proud of himself for not stumbling despite his heart exploding in his chest. The heat that crept up his neck and ears was very hard to ignore. Despite being intimate with Keith before, the thought of it never ceased to turn him into a bumbling blushing mess. It was his turn to laugh nervously. The sound was rough and unattractive— if you asked Hunk, that is. “I’m not nearly articulate enough to pull that off.”

“It was _just_ an idea,” Hunk heard Keith laugh and then place his phone onto a countertop. He was probably going to make some sort of dinner too. Pasta. He was good at boiling noodles. The best, probably. “Coran wants you to come look at the place tomorrow. You free?”

“Will you be there?”

“Hmm, I can be.”

There was the sound of running water. Yep, pasta.

“Then yes.”

Keith let out another small laugh. Hunk liked those little laughs. They were quick, breathy, and something told Hunk that he was probably one of very few people that got to hear them. He didn’t even try to fight the smile that spread on his lips. The rest of the beef stew was cooked to the soundtrack of Keith’s soft voice and Hunk couldn’t think of anything better to season it with.

 

\--

 

Hunk couldn’t…no, scratch that, _didn’t_ hold himself back when he saw Keith. Sporting a lose pony tail and his red jacket today; he stood just outside the old building next to Coran as Hunk approached.

Keith turned just as he heard the heavy footsteps pounding the pavement behind him. He let out a rather large “ _oof_!” when Hunk collided with him and subsequently lifted him in a giant bear hug, twirling him around.

“Hey, Big Man,” Keith said a bit breathlessly, the pressure of Hunk’s strong arms pushing the air out of his lungs and also maybe making him a bit hot under the collar. Hunk’s biceps were just so _big._

Coran let out a boisterous laugh at the rather obnoxious display of affection. He twirled his red, impressive moustache and gave Hunk’s back a hardy slap. It didn’t do much on Hunk’s hold of Keith, of course.

“Let me show you around!” Coran said as he turned back to the old building that looked something straight out of a 90s slasher flick.

There was small tap on Hunk’s shoulder. “Hunk,” Keith said with a smile. “Let me down.”

Hunk did, but not without giving him another tight squeeze. Keith’s quiet laugh fluttered against Hunk’s chest and he never wanted to forget the feeling. His entire body felt cold, and less whole, once he set Keith down.

There was a small crash that came from inside the building, followed by a larger, more concerning one.

“Watch your step— er, you know what? Just don’t leave the main room!” Coran’s distant voice surprised Hunk. He hadn’t noticed how big the place was. Maybe it was one of those weird  “bigger on the inside” labyrinth buildings that you only read about in spooky internet stories.

“Hey,” Keith cupped his hand on Hunk’s cheek, turning him and planting a quick, poignant kiss on his lips. Hunk’s initial reaction was, of course, shock, but that expression quickly melted into a lopsided smile that was undoubtedly filled with goopy affection. With heavy lidded eyes he leaned forward to kiss Keith again, only to feel the press of Keith’s finger against his lips.

“C’mon, let’s go inside.” Keith softly patted Hunk’s face and turned, heading into the building.

 

\--

 

Hunk sat staring down at his phone as he absently played an app that Lance somehow had convinced him to buy. It was good to keep his mind busy. When he wasn’t at work he was busy planning the Halloween party that had grown exponentially in intricacy. He hadn’t meant for it to turn into such a big thing, but life was funny that way; always dealing you new cards to play with. The tour of the building had gone great. It was the perfect size and Hunk was able to make the most of the space. Keith had proven himself really rather resourceful too. He’d gotten plenty of people to help and even made an event with the community center so it would be advertised on the bulletin and website.

Allura was also a key coordinator. Hunk was still uncertain why Keith had such a…unique disdain for her. And she for him. Keith respected her, of course, but there was some weird tension between the two. Well, it wasn’t something Hunk needed to concentrate on anyway. Allura had come up with supplies and manpower to actually build Hunk’s ostentatious vision. Turned out her father was quite influential in the city.

Now, Hunk simply focused on the little animated events occurring on his tiny phone screen. The character cheered and grunted as he made his way through the levels. Eventually, Hunk stood up from the bench when he saw the large blue bus round the corner. The bus didn’t look crowded at all. In fact, Hunk was almost certain only Lance and Pidge would exit when the bus groaned to a stop and hissed a little. They weren’t, much to his surprise, but it was definitely a small crowd.

The sun was glaring and offered unusual warmth for late October. Hunk, donning some aviator shades he stole from Lance before he moved, placed his hands on his hips as the small group of passengers exited the bus. His tiny, lopsided smirk turned into a full blown toothy grin when he heard a slap on one of the windows and subsequently saw Lance’s face beaming at him; nose pressed firmly against the glass.

Pidge was the first one to exit the bus though. She pushed past a few people huddling around waiting to get their luggage and did a flying leap into Hunk’s arms.

“You’re in your work clothes!” she exclaimed loudly over the music that was probably blaring in her headphones.

“I’m on my lunch break,” Hunk replied before setting Pidge down. Just as he put his shades up on the top of his head, another body collided with his.

Lance, despite being much taller and a bit heavier than Pidge, leapt up into Hunk’s arms and hugged him as if it was the last thing he was going to do on this earth. Hunk’s footing only faltered minimally.

“You’re in your work clothes!” Lance exclaimed too, just as loudly as Pidge had, sans headphones. “Dressing up for me?”

“Yep,” Hunk said as he placed his second assailant back on his feet. “I’ll have the chauffer bring the limo around.”

After their ritualistic sarcasm and catching up, the three headed back to Hunk’s apartment.

Lance talked both Hunk and Pidge’s ear off the entire drive. He filled Hunk in about his new job, his eerily hot boss who he was certain was actually affiliated with a secret crime syndicate, and all such other important details.

“So when do we get to meet Keith?” Pidge said just as Hunk unlocked his apartment door and swung it open.

“Pidge, it’s not like I keep him locked up in a basement,” Hunk replied incredulously. “You’ve been here, what, 20 minutes and you’re already prying?”

She lifted her hands and walked past him into the apartment. Hunk followed her with his eyes and shook his head, glancing back at Lance who simply smiled and shrugged.

“I’m here to see _you,”_ he said and walked past Hunk, slapping him on the chest playfully. “But I need to meet Mr. Mulletman before the day is out, you know.”

“Dude, it’s not a mullet! He has _layers_!” Hunk, left with the luggage, smiled and shook his head again and picked up the bags with ease. He heard Pidge squeal in delight and he knew she’d found his new gaming system.

 

\--

 

Work was slow but that didn’t really bother Hunk. He had plenty of extra projects to do prep for. However, he wasn’t really in the mood for that. Now that Lance and Pidge were here, he just wanted to catch up. He was eager to have them meet Keith, of course. He simply didn’t want to seem too…excited. He had to save face somehow!

 He stood at his desk and leaned over scrolling idly through his laptop at cool geek-themed spice racks on Etsy. His other hand rested against his cheek and he blinked slowly, yawning a little bit.

His phone vibrated with texts from Lance and Pidge that summarized into “Haha! You’re in the other room!” “I see you!” “Hunk, where are your cheez-its?” “STOP THROWING CHEEZ-ITS AT ME!”

He rolled his eyes and chuckled, locking his phone. When he heard the click of heels walk up to his open door he straightened up.

“Taking a break?” Shay asked as soon as he turned toward her and closed out of the browser.

“No!” he said rushed, then corrected himself. “I mean, yes. But I was just about to get started on…a thing. Something.”

Shay laughed and shook her head, bobbed hair bouncing at the movement. “I appreciate all of the hard work you’ve been putting into these projects, Hunk. I know it must be difficult.”

Hunk smiled, humbled by her words. She was always very complimentary. It was quite embarrassing, if he was perfectly honest. He lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah, it’s okay. I like the busy work. I really should be thanking you! I moved to the city to explore my career and I hadn’t really been feeling it until you gave me a shot.”

Shay’s eyes sparkled and she reached forward, grabbing Hunk’s hand suddenly and squeezed tightly. Hunk blinked down at the grip, which was unsurprisingly strong but still gave him some heart palpitations. When he looked back up at her, he flinched at the strong determination he saw. Shay was a dreamer. And a bigger dreamer than Hunk. It was oddly refreshing but also gave him quite the reality check as to how intense he can be sometimes.

“I have big plans for you, my friend. Big plans!”

Hunk’s lips pressed into a thin line, not really knowing how to respond to that. Shay, despite her docile appearance, was quite passionate about her company. And due to the nature of her and Hunk’s new projects, and how closely she had been working with him, she had also proven to be very insistent on ‘repaying’ Hunk in literally any way she could think of. Hunk had, according to Shay’s adviser, brought the company “really great numbers” lately. Whatever that meant.

So, Shay felt it necessary to repay him. This was often in the form of little goodies at work—fancy sweets from expensive shops, gourmet pastries, cool sunglasses that Hunk was reluctant to wear because they looked pricier than his apartment. However, lately, Hunk had noticed, it morphed into something a little more humbling. Shay intended to move Hunk up a couple pegs in the company.

He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone yet. He wasn’t exactly sure how to process it. He also wasn’t entirely sure if he deserved it.

Shay pat his hand a couple times before excusing herself to a late lunch meeting. She left Hunk flustered with a head full of swirling thoughts. If she was hell-bent on helping Hunk rise through the corporate ladder, then Hunk was certain he was going to have to kick it into full gear.

He spent the rest of his workday bent over his drafting desk.

 

\--

 

To say that the Halloween party and haunted house opening came before he could blink wouldn’t do it justice. In fact, the day of the party Hunk found himself running around in a panic. Within that panic was regret and maybe a bit of self-condemnation. He never really understood why he always bit off more than he could chew. Though, at least this time around he had help.

Some of that help currently sat on the floor with his legs splayed, folding hundreds of tiny origami bats.

“Lance and Pidge said they confirmed the catering for 7:00. Did you finish the—oh.” Hunk stopped short as he walked into the main room of the newly refurbished building. The entire place looked redesigned, rehabilitated, an entirely different building if Hunk was entirely honest. It was still old and on its last leg, but it fit the spooky aesthetic very nicely. The first floor was where they were going to have a party, while the second floor was the haunted house (graciously supported by a staff that included a mix of volunteers from the community and… “volunteers” from Arus).

Honestly, the entire event panned out incredibly well. Which was really saying something so far as Hunk’s record goes. Not that he wasn’t good at this sort of thing—it was sort of his job to think from the ground up. He’d just never tackled anything quite so involved. He got to meet a lot of new people in the community as well as some representatives that were fighting against the aggressive condemning the city had been doing to the older buildings. He was really, finally starting to feel like he belonged here. He had Keith to thank for that; in a roundabout way, at least.

Keith looked up from his project and smiled, to which Hunk felt the wave of complete and utter exhaustion finally set in. It wasn’t bad though: it felt liberating, like Keith’s smile was a gentle reminder that he _did_ it. He’d made a crazy plan, and it hadn’t fallen through. Best yet, they were going to charge people for the haunted house and donate it to the community center for further rehabilitation of any already condemned buildings (and perhaps those at risk) in the neighborhood.

Hunk groaned, smiling, and walked over to plop down next to Keith on the floor. Hunk heard that familiar light chuckle from Keith as he continued with the origami bats. Hunk watched him silently, enjoying the way his hands worked so diligently. His fingers pressed the creases hard against the old marble floor and he turned it over to perfect yet another crease.

“You’re really good at that,” Hunk said, leaning a bit closer.

Keith blinked up at him, lifting the paper bat and studying it with pursed lips. “You think so? I think they kinda look like melted Batman symbols.”

It was Hunk’s turn to chuckle and he leaned over some more, reaching forward and grabbing the folded paper from Keith to hold it higher, like presenting it to a tribunal.

“I think they look great.” By the end of his statement a smile had spread across his lips. “Melted Batman symbols and all!” Keith had used the opportunity to scoot closer to Hunk, and leaned against his chest. His head fell back a little, tilting backward against the soft spot between Hunk’s pectoral and armpit. His eyes met Hunk’s, and the smile on his lips touched them, giving them the cutest squint Hunk had ever seen.

“Thank you, Keith,” Hunk said quietly, placing the bat down onto the ever-growing pile. Keith hummed, lifting his arm to awkwardly reach behind him to touch Hunk’s face gently.

“Don’t thank me yet. I still have like 20 more to go, and I can’t promise the quality to stay consistent.”

“No, I mean…” Hunk felt his face begin to warm as Keith’s touch left his cheek, his eyes still staring up at Hunk with an unwavering concentration. Hunk’s heart clenched a little and he looked away to the windows, he could see Coran helping Shiro unload some tables out of the bed of Shiro’s truck in the tiny parking lot (if you could call it that; it looked like the construction workers just spread out some clumpy cobblestone-cement hybrid and called it a day). “Thank you for everything. I don’t think I’ve been this happy in a long time.”

He felt Keith lift away from his chest, turning to face Hunk front-on. It was embarrassing to say the least, and Hunk chanced a glance at Keith whose own face was tinted a brilliant shade of pink.

“Me…too,” Keith’s voice was barely over a whisper and Hunk was halfway into saying ‘what?’ when Keith leaned forward and kissed him. Their lips interlocked perfectly, soft and warm, and Keith’s hand found the side of Hunk’s face, thumb rubbing gently under Hunk’s cheekbone. Keith pulled away first, and Hunk found himself trailing the path of Keith’s withdrawing lips just a bit, not wanting the kiss to end.

 

\--

 

“I can’t go,” Hunk’s voice came from behind his closed bedroom door. Keith sat on the couch next to Pidge and Lance was at the door, leaning close to it. It was later in the day and the party was drawing nearer and nearer. "Not wearing this anyway."

“Aw, Hunk, come on! You were so excited about it a few weeks ago!”

“Yeah well, that was a few weeks ago, this is now.”

Keith lifted his feet up to the couch, sitting pretzel-style and holding his ankles. He glanced over at Pidge who fiddled with her Halloween costume. It looked like some sort of silver helmet. He leaned toward her a little, glancing at it a bit closer and trying to discern what it was. “Are you…gonna wear that?” Small talk wasn’t his strong suit. Well, unless it was with Hunk.

Pidge smiled, almost devilishly, and suddenly the front of the helmet lit up with lights somehow embedded into it. It was a robotic looking smiley face; very much like an emoticon. Keith’s eyebrows rose to his hairline and nodded, impressed. Pidge, obviously happy with his reaction, hummed gleefully, brought her creation atop her head, and popped into it. She stretched out her hands in a _tadaa_ motion as she turned to face him.

Keith leaned forward, hands still clasped to his ankles, and squinted, “Can you even see?”

Pidge shook her head _no._

Lance’s figure in his peripheral caught Keith by surprise. He shifted his gaze over and blinked upward. Lance, with his eyes closed, index finger pressed to his forehead and lips pursed, said, “This might take some teamwork.”

“Huh?”

 

\--

 

Hunk was a fool. He had bought it on a whim and tailored it with high hopes. He had been 100% certain he could pull off Han Solo. Now, with Lance, Pidge, and Keith in his living room, he wasn’t so certain.

He wasn’t necessarily unhappy with his looks and body type. Typically, he didn’t care either way. Halloween was his favorite holiday and he dressed how he wanted to. But now there was Keith. And the circumstances of their relationship made Hunk incredibly nervous. He didn’t want to look like an overzealous boob. A cocky bro who liked showing off his thick arms and chest hair. He knew it was silly to think that Keith would ever judge him for a costume, especially one as simple as this, but he just couldn’t shake the intrusive thoughts.

He stared down at the off-white collared shirt and black vest. Those navy pants and utility belt mocked him. The knee-high leather boots stuck their middle finger in his face.

“I’ll just wear my old Yip Yip costume. Point to things and get the names wrong. That always gets a laugh,” he said toward the closed door.

“Yip Yips always appear in two! You can’t just go as one,” Lance’s rebuttal was smart; Hunk grimaced and did a little angry, downward fist pump at being bested. “Hunk, buddy, I’m not going to make you wear it if you really don’t want to. But I have a feeling you do.” Lance paused and Hunk assumed he walked away. Then, he heard Lance gasp after a while and say, “I’m a genius!”

Hunk wasn’t going to lie, his interested was piqued. Lance was a schemer and that sounded like his scheming voice.

“Hunk, put on the costume and just let us see it, please? If you don’t want to wear it to the party that’s okay.”

Hunk sighed and looked down at the untouched costume. Maybe just for a little bit. To get it out of his system. They had to get going to the party soon anyway.

After perfecting the holster on his thigh, Hunk reached for the doorknob. He blushed a little knowing Keith was out there on the couch. He chanced a glance at himself in his full-length mirror resting against the wall. He turned a little and checked himself out. The white shirt was a bit tight on his arms. His eyes followed the red line down the navy pants that hugged his legs quite nicely.

When he opened the door, Lance was not standing there as he had imagined. He pursed his lips a little and glanced down the short hallway. He sighed and shrugged, giving a ‘here goes nothing’ to the closed bathroom door adjacent to his bedroom.

The walk to the living room had his heart beating a bit faster, but imagining himself strutting while exiting the Millennium Falcon gave him a surge of newfound confidence. He smiled a little and walked a bit straighter.

“Well?” he asked when he reached Lance and Pidge sitting on the couch. His eyes scanned the room for Keith who was not there. Something akin to disappointment sunk in his gut at not being able to do a big reveal to all of them at once. He shook the feeling easily enough.

“Holy shit. You look amazing,” Lance said, clutching a pillow.

“You _didn’t_ want to wear it?!” Pidge added after taking off her giant robot head. “There’s no way you can’t wear it now! You were made for that outfit, Hunk.”

Hunk felt his face warm a little, confidence boosting even more.

What Lance said next, however, caused Hunk to pause and quirk an eyebrow. “But you know what? Han Solo wouldn’t be caught dead without his furry companion.”

“Lance, what the hell are you talking about?” Hunk asked, resting his hands on his hips.

“Uh,” Keith’s muffled voice was suddenly behind Hunk, which caused him to jump a bit in fright.

Lo and behold, upon turning around Hunk was face-to-face with a Chewbacca mask and a full, brown and black fur suit. It looked a little too big for Keith, seeing as the entire costumed sagged on his frame. He lifted his hands and curled the fuzzy fingered gloves like claws and the mask stayed in a motionless, silent growl. Those deep azure eyes behind the mask, however, had that irrefutable squint of a smile.

“Oh my God,” was all Hunk could say. His nerd heart fluttered uncontrollably and he had to bring his hand up to cover a smile that stretched incredibly wide on his face.

“Now, if you don’t want Keith to look like a Solo-less fool, I suggest you wear the damn costume.” Lance smiled mischievously. Hunk wasn’t dense. He knew that this was the costume Lance had planned to wear. He had probably been planning to surprise Hunk with it. However, it had always been Lance’s #2 dream to be the ultimate wingman (#1 was dating a mermaid). Hunk knew something weird was going to happen. He had not expected this though.

It was then that Hunk realized he hadn’t said anything for a while. He noticed Keith hadn’t either. His eyes just stared at him from behind that, now a bit disturbing, Chewy mask.

“What are—”

“You look—”

They started at the same time.

Awkward.

Pidge and Lance exchanged knowing looks but said nothing, simply watched the adorable scene unfold. Both Hunk and Keith laughed sheepishly.

“You look good,” Keith said after a pause. His voice was soft and muted and it was probably the cutest damn thing Hunk had ever seen in his entire lifespan. Hunk felt his heart swell with affection it almost made it hard to breathe. He brought his hand to his chest subtly.

“Really good,” Keith continued. “Sexy.”

“Y-you think so?”

 "I do.”

“You do too!” Hunk said quickly, his face aflame. This wasn’t the first time Keith had said something like that to him. When they were alone in Hunk’s apartment, pressed against each other in a fit of passion, Keith said all sorts of things. But now with Pidge and Lance sitting there almost like proud parents, the comment made Hunk unbearably embarrassed. “Er, I mean— as good as a wookie can look.”

Keith chuckled softly and shrugged. “I don’t really remember the movies. Actually, I don’t think I ever saw the last one. So I’ll take whatever compliments I can take.”

Lance’s voice actually cracked at how loud he yelled “ _What?!_ ”

 

\--

 

For lack of a better word, the party was a hit. Many people were already there by the time Hunk, Keith, Lance, and Pidge had gotten there. The lighting worked perfectly and added the spookiest ambiance to the old building. Hunk couldn’t contain his excitement.

Music filled the first floor and screams filled the second. The fee for the haunted house was reasonable and there were even people asking to donate just to get in to the party. At one point, there were some trick-or-treaters stopping by. Probably because they just wanted to see what the cool “grown-ups” were doing. One little girl was really very eager to meet Chewbacca. Hunk had to turn away and lift a fist to his mouth when Keith knelt down to let the girl pet the fur on his mask.

Coran had graciously offered fun new Halloween-theme flavors of ice cream for the party too. Many people politely declined, but Pidge had proven to be quite the adventurous connoisseur. That started a trail of mob-mentality, and pretty soon everyone was trying Coran’s “bleeding bubblegum and black licorice vampire iScream.” The red on everyone’s teeth was, in a word, unsettling.

 

\--

 

Keith wasn’t entirely a party person, so he kept quiet most of the night beside Hunk. From behind his furry disguise, he was able to ogle Han-Solo-Hunk as much as his heart desired. That was a big plus to agreeing to Lance’s out-of-the-blue suggestion. However, his face felt like it was melting as his breath made the inside of the mask moist to the point of worrying that the smell would never leave his nostrils. He had, much to Hunk’s dismay, to take it off. Hunk didn’t fret for very long, of course, because now he was glad that he could see Keith’s face. He told Keith so himself. Keith had blushed at the forward comment; it was unusual for Hunk to be so bold. The party had him soaring high, and Keith wasn’t going to make a teasing remark to falter that high. Instead, he simply made a silly face at him and told him to go to his damn haunted house already.

“Will you be okay by yourself?”

“Hunk, I know most of these people.”

“Oh yeah.”

 “Go! Or I’ll take you to a _real_ haunted house.”

Hunk turned toward him with eyes that were bright with interest as well as hesitation. “Do you actually know of one?!”

Keith laughed, “Go!”

Now, from the corner and holding a cup of whatever, Keith silently watched the party continue into the night. He had been given a drink without asking for one. His Arus buddies tended to be spontaneous like that. He simply accepted it with a polite smile.

Keith liked people watching— that was how he had originally noticed Hunk on the train— and the costumes here made it even more unique. Thace had really gotten into his role too, so Keith could only imagine what types of horrors awaited their paying customers upstairs. Eventually he saw many people screaming and hooting in glee when they came down from the haunted house. He smiled at that. He loved seeing people enjoy Hunk’s work.

The sudden thought of Hunk gave his heart a painful stab. He glanced down at his cup and then back up to the party. Across the low-lit room, he saw that unmistakable tuft of white hair, Shiro (now dressed as a Dalmatian. Allura was somewhere in the building dressed Cruella). He was talking to Coran; laughing and probably telling a story he’s told a thousand times. Keith knew all of them by now, and he always made sure to let him know when he was repeating himself. Hunk and Pidge were suddenly with them, stepping into the conversation. Hunk was saying something in that same charming, excitable way he had. His eyes lit up and he clenched and unclenched his fists as he gestured wildly.  Keith’s chest hurt and he had to look away.

“ _Dammit_ …” he mumbled.

The empty space next to him was suddenly occupied, and Keith glanced over to see Lance leaning against the wall. He had managed to find a banana costume at a temporary Halloween store just before coming to the party. And honestly, he really rocked it quite well. Keith hadn’t pegged him for a selfie kind of guy, but Lord knows his phone was full of them this night. Selfies alone _and_ with the various people in the building.

Lance looked at him with a, dare he say, smarmy expression. It didn’t seem hostile though, or so Keith could only speculate.

Keith gave him a small smile. “Having fun?” he asked over yet another Rob Zombie song.

“I don’t have to be _that_ guy and, y’know, threaten you or whatever not to hurt Hunk, right?” Lance said this instead of answering. His voice was stern, oddly serious, but he laughed at the end of his statement regardless.

Keith felt his heart sink like an anvil, and it hurt, painful throbs in his chest and gut. He swallowed hard, glancing down at the untouched drink in his hand. Without panicking, his own laugh came soon after Lance’s, but it sounded must more strained, forced, and otherwise like he had a secret to keep. And he did. Which was what made this whole scenario that much more disgustingly poetic.

“Just because you are a martial arts master doesn’t mean you have any chance in hell at kicking my ass. I’ll have you know that I can order food in like seven different languages. So, no funny business with my man Hunk, alright? McClains are intolerable bastards when we need to be.”

“R-right,” he said and took a practically fake sip of his drink. The alcohol barely touched his tongue, tasted like dirt and he grimaced.

Lance quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing else on the matter (the threatening matter, not the food language thing. That was a fallen flat joke). He simply laughed again, slapping Keith hard on the shoulder and giving him a friendly shake.

 "Hunk wasn’t kidding when he said you were a shy guy!”

Keith’s eyes widened, his gaze shooting toward Lance. “He…said that?” Keith felt his face flush, neck hot and uncomfortable under the collar of his fuzzy costume. “Um, does he talk about me a lot?”

Lance’s quirked eyebrow rose even higher—quite impressively, Keith noted.

“You’re kidding, right? Hunk never _shuts up_ about you,” he chuckled, a bit less heartily as before and looked down at his feet, folding his arms across his chest. As he shifted his legs to cross too, leaned more heavily against the wall, he continued, “I’m a bit jealous. Hunk is an amazing guy…you’re lucky to have someone like him care so much for you.”

That painful drop of his heart hit Keith again and it almost made him gasp. He swallowed hard and tapped his finger on the edge of his cup along to the music. His face felt sticky with a cold sweat as hundreds of thoughts rushed into his mind. It was hard to discern any of them, but the general message his inner conscious said was easy enough to understand.

He needed to tell Hunk the truth.

“Woah, Keith, you okay?” Lance asked and Keith couldn’t speak, the lump in his throat was too strong, too tight. He needed some fresh air. He was going to explode.

Before Lance spoke again, Hunk and Pidge were before them laughing and gesturing wildly. Keith knew they were talking about something funny that happened upstairs in the haunted house, probably what he had just told Shiro and Coran too, but he just couldn’t seem to listen. Everything was slightly off kilter, out of focus; his head in a fog and hearing muffled.

“Keith?” Hunk’s voice grounded him again, and he realized he was actually outside now. He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the crisp night air.

Keith shook his head a little, clearing his mind until those voices were a distant echo. They’d left their mark though.

“You don’t look too hot. Are you feeling okay?” Hunk was at his side, close and staring deep into his eyes. He put his large hand to Keith’s forehead. Keith closed his eyes and leaned in to the touch. He smiled, giddy all of a sudden. Hunk was so sweet to him. He didn’t deserve Hunk. But he wanted to deserve him. That much was certain.

“Your hand is warm,” Keith said after a moment. It wasn’t what he wanted to say. It wasn’t what he _should_ say.

He needed to tell Hunk the truth.

Hunk stared with a tilted eyebrow as Keith opened his eyes slowly once more. With his bangs pushed back like that he looked a little younger, and not to mention cute. Hunk would dwell on that fact later, now he was more concerned with Keith’s strange behavior.

“Are you drunk?” he asked solemnly.

Keith shook his head and lifted his hands to Hunk’s face. “You know I don’t drink.”

Hunk smiled, relieved, “Well you know when people say ‘oh, I don’t drink’ they really mean ‘oh, I don’t drink _much.’_ Which are two very different things.” He let his hand drop from Keith’s forehead and snaked his arm around his waist, pulling Keith closer.

 "Yeah, yeah,” Keith responded with a smile of his own. “You’ve told me that story about Lance quite enough to get the point across.”

“So, what’s up?” Hunk’s voice was deep and soft, like the warmth from a hearth.

“Nothing, I’m just tired. I had a rough training session today, I guess.” His heart was not behind his words. And he avoided Hunk’s gaze which was unfortunately a dead giveaway that he was lying. “And all those origami bats took a lot out of me.”

The pause between them felt a little heavy. A small gust of wind whistled between some of the buildings on the street. The muffled music from inside leaked out into the cool air and filtered high into the sky. The flickering of lights reflected through the window, shining its rays onto the cement ground below. Above the skyline, a plane crawled across the stars as its red lights blinked on and off.

Hunk shifted his footing a little and cleared his throat. “Are you… _sure_ you’re alright? I know you don’t like parties too much. A-and I’m sorry Lance had you wear that costume. It’s probably really hot. You probably got overheated. Do you need water? I can get you some. But I took you out here first in case you—”

Keith did not let him finish. He leaned up on his toes and wrapped his arms around Hunk’s shoulders, pulling him downward for a deep kiss. Hunk reciprocated after only a moment’s hesitation. The two stood there, heat rising in their stomachs, rushing under their skin and turning it blood hot. Keith pushed against Hunk and guided him backward until he pressed against the wall of the old building. The vibrations from the heavy music inside sent shivers through them both.

Hunk pulled away from the kiss and moaned as Keith lips found his jaw and traveled downward toward the sensitive area on his neck. Hunk’s head filled with those words he longed to say over and over. But he dared not say them now. Instead, he listened to the sound of his own beating heart in his ears; felt it pound wildly in his chest as Keith pressed his knee up between his legs.

“Ah!” Hunk let out a gasp and grabbed on to Keith’s back. “Shit, Keith, what’s with you all of a sudden?” He wasn’t complaining, he would never dream of it. The smile on his face was irrefutable. Hunk felt his face flare with a powerful heat when Keith pulled away from his kisses and looked up at him with what really could only be described as a sultry gaze. He swallowed heavily.

“Hunk, I want you so badly tonight,” Keith’s voice was like syrup, dripping in the chilled air. “Will you let me?”

Hunk squeezed the tufts of fake fur on Keith’s back and suddenly let out a burst of laughter, loudly too, which caused an interesting expression to morph on Keith’s face. It was some sort of concoction of confusion and offense. And that caused Hunk to laugh harder.

“I don’t see what’s so funny about this,” Keith said defensively, despite the growing red on his cheeks. He pulled away a little bit from Hunk. “I think it’s only fair that we have some reciprocity when we have s—”

“No, no, sorry! Yes, you can! I want you to. God, I’d love that _so_ much. Yes. Sorry,” he laughed again and smiled at Keith’s half-pout. “It’s just that,” he brought his hand to Keith’s face and rubbed his warm cheek tenderly with his thumb. “It’s just…you’re in that costume and…” he trailed off, shoulders shaking with another laugh.

Keith looked down at himself. He had…honestly forgotten about his current headless Chewbacca state. His mind had been full of thoughts of Hunk, among other things. He joined in with the chuckle.

“Han and Chewy getting hot and heavy outside a decrepit building. Bit of a mood killer, huh?”

“No way! I’m into it,” Hunk bit into his smile, holding back another bout of laughter. This resulted in a tiny short that made Keith’s entire soul sing.  

However, Keith simply rolled his eyes and leaned forward to steal another kiss. He was satisfied with the soft sound Hunk made. There was nothing on this green earth that he could compare the taste of Hunk’s lips to. He was a flavor all of his own, and Keith wanted to taste him forever. If Hunk would have him.

Their lips parted audibly once again.

Hunk sighed as he looked at Keith with half lidded eyes. “I forget how lucky I am to have someone like you care about me this way.”

Keith’s heart clenched at the familiarity of the sentence; ringing almost identically to what Lance had told him just moments before Hunk and Pidge had come over. He looked into Hunk’s deep almond eyes and furrowed his brows.

He needed to tell Hunk the truth. _Do it, coward. Tell him._

It was Hunk’s turn to change expression. His voice softened. “Keith?”

Keith shut his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. “I was just thinking back to how you were pissed that I stole your seat on the train,” he opened his eyes again and grinned.

“Unspoken rules of society, Keith! Unspoken rules!”

“The party probably needs us to return to it,” he lifted his hand to Hunk’s face like he always did. “But maybe later, if you’re still in the mood, my suggestion still stands.”

Hunk returned the smile and leaned forward to kiss Keith for definitely not the last time that night.

 

\--

 

Waking up in Keith’s bed for the first time was definitely an experience Hunk had not prepared his tender heart for. His apartment, though Hunk rarely went to it, felt comfortable and small. It was very sleek compared to Hunk’s, and newer too. It was also on the 14th floor of what looked like a billion-level complex.

He woke up before Keith, as per usual, and turned softly in the dark sheets. He propped himself up on an elbow and watched Keith through his still sleep-covered eyes. His face always looked so calm as he slept, and now was no different. One arm was under his pillow while the other laid in front of his face, curled in a soft fist. Obsidian bangs fell over his dark lashes, touching his pale skin on his cheeks that were ever-so-slightly pink from the warmth of the bed.

Hunk watched him sleep for probably longer than he’d care to admit. Keith was just so…

He couldn’t possibly put it into words. Certainly he was the best thing to happen to Hunk in a very, very long time. Moving to the city had been a big step for him and he was starting to doubt his choice. But since he’d met Keith, everything just seemed to flow so much more nicely. He had a new routine; one laced with uncertainty that kept him on his toes. And it was exciting. Hunk welcomed the change. As long as Keith was there, giving him secret smiles and soft touches, Hunk felt like he could do anything.

Keith stirred and mumbled something inaudible in his sleep. Hunk smiled and let his free hand reach over and move a lock of hair away from Keith’s face.

“Kite can’t go that high…that’s absurd,” Keith mumbled more clearly.

Hunk lost it. He tilted his head back and let out a witchy cackle that startled Keith awake with a loud gasp. He sat up quickly and accidentally kicked the comforter off of the bed. When his mind caught up with him and finally shook away the sleepy haze, he glared over at Hunk, who simply laughed harder.

“I was talking again, wasn’t I?” he asked while he stretched his arms high above his head. Hunk spared no effort hiding how his eyes scanned Keith’s taught abdominals.

Keith noticed— of course Hunk had wanted him to— and grinned. “You hungry?”

“For you or for breakfast?”

“Oh, Hunk, that was lame. I’m kicking you out.” Keith leaned over and kissed Hunk’s bare, tattooed arm and stood up on the bed. He was completely naked, as was Hunk obviously, and Hunk eyed him as he walked a few steps and hopped off at the end. He head toward the bathroom connected to his bedroom. Just before he got to the door, he looked over his shoulder with a flirtatious look upon his features. He curled his index finger in the universal “come hither” motion.

Hunk practically jumped out of the bed and ran to Keith who, as it turned out, scurried away into the bathroom with a giddy laugh.

Call Hunk crazy, but he just would not deny it any more. He loved Keith. He loved him so damn much he wanted to scream it to the skyscrapers above and the sewers below. And he planned to.

 

\--

 

The day was filled with lazy couch lounging and football game watching. Hunk periodically checked his phone in case Lance and Pidge needed him. He had given Lance his spare key and told them both he was going home with Keith.

That had earned him quite a good amount of teasing from the both of them. It was entirely out of love, obviously. As it always was. Hunk chuckled remembering Lance’s comment about “operation get in Chewbacca’s pants” was a success. Of course, they knew that he had been, _ahem,_ “with” Keith a few times already, but both Pidge and Lance were definitely going to ask Hunk about last night and today. He had told them with confidence, and maybe a bit giddy from the party going so well, that he was going to confess to Keith. He was going to ask him out properly and tell him exactly how much he adored him. He knew exactly where he was going to do it too.

“Are you busy tonight?” Hunk asked after putting his phone down.

Keith’s legs draped over Hunk’s lap as he laid down and watched the television. He glanced toward Hunk momentarily.

“Not particularly. Thought about going to the dojang to work out a little bit, but I will happily accept an alternative plan. Why?”

“I want to show you my favorite part in the city,” Hunk said while bringing his warm hand down upon Keith’s shin.

Keith simply hummed in response, eyes on the TV again.

“Sound good?”

Keith then turned his attention to Hunk, full and unwavering. He smiled sweetly. “Sounds great.”

 

\--

 

Night always came rather quickly when you spend the day doing nothing but enjoying the presence of someone you love. Hunk found himself getting more and more nervous as the sun’s final light finally fell low in the sky.

The two of them walked quietly through the streets. Keith looked up at the sky, watching its orange and purple gradient spread.

Hunk watched Keith. He studied the little emotions; those small expressions he made when lost in deep thought. Hunk always wondered what he was thinking about when he got this way. Despite the two of them having grown close all this time, Hunk still never had the bravery to ask Keith what was truly, honestly bothering him.

He hoped what he had to say to Keith tonight would send him over that barrier Keith still had up.

They stopped at a tall building and Hunk watched Keith tilt his head back and back, far enough that his Adam’s apple pressed taught against his smooth, pale neck.

“Follow me!” Hunk said eagerly, adrenaline starting to course through his veins. Hunk walked through the business building like he belonged there and Keith trailed closely behind him. The man at the front desk looked up from his book only momentarily before shrugging off their presence.

When they got to the roof, Keith finally spoke. “Are you sure we’re allowed to be up here?”

Hunk assured him that he had no clue, but it was completely fine because the view was worth it even if they got into trouble. Keith simply chuckled softly at that and walked through the door Hunk held open for him.

The sight was indeed breath taking. This structure rose high above the city, and through just a simple chain link fence stretched the multiplicity of lights and sounds. The buildings melded together like one gigantic piece of architecture; a large puzzle with all the pieces sitting perfectly together.

The edge of the rooftop framed the skyline, but the building was high enough to see the peppering of white stars above the setting sun and the city’s light pollution. They looked like tiny splatters of paint against a dark blue canvas, fading into the purples and oranges of the sunset. Hunk felt his heart swell when he looked over at Keith whose eyes simply sparkled as those stars reflected into them.

He looked conflicted though, like he wasn’t sure whether to smile or to cry. The sick reality of industrialization and modern technology clashing against the expanse of the sky above them always conflicted Hunk too. It was beautifully tragic. He knew feeling well.

Hunk reached out and grabbed Keith’s hand gently and Keith twitched slightly, surprised by the sudden contact. His glistening eyes turned to Hunk first and then turned his body to face him.

“Do you like it?”

Keith let out a heavy breath, and it misted in the air like a small puff of smoke. They were high in the sky and the air was cold enough to do so.

“It’s incredible,” Keith replied. “I can see why it’s your favorite view of the city.”

“Keith,” Hunk started and his heart felt like a jackhammer. His palms were a bit sweaty too, but he knew Keith would never say anything about it. “I didn’t just take you here to show you the pretty sight.”

Keith looked at him without saying a word.

Hunk felt his face explode with heat but he smiled, bigger and broader than he thought physically possible.

“There’s something really important I want to say to you.”

“Hunk…”

“Keith, ever since I met you I haven’t been able to stop smiling. You mean so much to me, more than you could possibly know.”

“Hunk, I—”

“And I know that you’ve had troubles in the past, but I don’t care. I’ll work them out with you! I want your troubles to be my troubles. Keith, you’re so damn special to me. I go to bed thinking about you, I wake up with your smile in my head.” Hunk was beaming at this point. His cheeks even felt a little pained from the static smile. He laughed giddily. “We’re just so good together, you know? Keith, I want you to be my boyfriend. And…and there’s more…”

Keith opened his mouth to say something again, but Hunk couldn’t stop. He was on a roll, adrenaline pumping wildly through his body.

“Keith, I want you to go out with me, please. And I’ve been thinking for a little while now…at first I wasn’t sure, but I know in my heart now that I—”

“ _Wait!_ Hunk, wait,” Keith practically yelled. He looked pained, voice suddenly quivering, and Hunk’s smile instantly fell from his face. His heart sunk too as a foreboding coldness crept through his veins. It was like hitting a brick wall, cold and hard and painful. Keith pried his hands from Hunk’s and rubbed his own arm roughly. “I can’t…let you finish that sentence until you hear what I have to say.”

The vivid colors of the sunset finally, completely dissipated and they were left with a hazy purple sky framing them. Hunk felt a small gust of wind toss his hair and the sound of a faded car horn echoed high against the buildings. His heart hurt, pounding against his chest like it wanted to burst his ribcage open. His hands trembled now, adrenaline still pumping but he was on a very fast steady decline. He watched Keith carefully; his dark hair covered his brows as the wind tossed it. The red of his jacket stood out like a mark against the darkness of the skyline behind him. Keith kept folded into himself, posture slumped and eyes downcast. Hunk couldn’t find words. He was scared. He’d never seen Keith look so…

There wasn’t a word for it. But whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

What did he have to say? Had Hunk missed something really important? Oh God, he was going too fast, wasn’t he? Maybe Keith wasn’t ready to take things so seriously. But Hunk was certain they were already sort of progressing in their relationship…was that too cheeky of him to assume?

Well, he wasn’t going to find out by internally mulling it over and slowly setting into panic.

Hunk swallowed hard, his throat already felt dry and rotten, and it hurt. “O-okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse for how late this chapter is. When I got back to writing it and saw the "it had been less than a week" sentence at the beginning I died a little inside.  
> Thanks for sticking around, those of you that remain!  
> And I'm sorry for being a hypocrite. I say I hate angst and yet here we are...  
> 


End file.
